By Rich Larson
The Northfield City Council received a preliminary design update Tuesday, April 22, for Phase II of the Northfield Skateboard Park project, marking another step toward expanding the city’s existing skate facilities at Memorial Park.
Phase I of the skateboard park was constructed in 2015 following years of planning and community advocacy, resulting in a 4,000- to 4,500-square-foot concrete park. Phase II is intended to significantly expand the park’s footprint, with early plans envisioning a total size of approximately 9,000 to 10,000 square feet.
The project is funded primarily by a $500,000 grant from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED), which was awarded in June 2025 and formally approved by City Council in February 2026.
The expansion is being designed by Mark Leski, owner of Wizard Skateparks, LLC, who was awarded the Phase II design contract. Leski, a Minnesota native with more than 30 years of experience designing and building skateparks, has worked on both public and private parks across the state and country. City materials describe the project vision as creating a larger, dynamic layout accessible to all skill levels while attracting regional users to Northfield.
Mayor Erica Zweifel credited Tyler Westman, owner of Northside Boards in Northfield, for not only getting the project moving, but also for bringing in Leski. She said his work adds even more excitement to the addition.
“Tyler further used his network to bring in Mark Leskie,” she said. “He’s an amazing skateboarder and skateboard designer, and he has designed multiple parks in the country and has come here to really help blend phase one and phase two and add some amenities.”
According to the project timeline presented to council, community and stakeholder engagement is scheduled for April and May 2026, followed by City Council approval of a recommended final concept on May 19. Plans are expected to be approved for bidding in July, with construction anticipated to begin in fall 2026 and continue into summer 2027.
City staff indicated that the April 22 update was intended to gather preliminary feedback from council before finalizing design concepts and moving forward with broader public engagement.
Rich Larson is the owner and General manager of KYMN Radio. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net
