Basin Recreation approves Trailside Wheels Park concept for broader use

Basin Recreation has approved a redesigned Trailside Wheels Park that would replace the aging skate park with a larger concrete facility built for skateboarders, scooter riders, BMX riders, inline skaters and users of wheelchairs or other mobility devices. The unanimous June 11 vote moves the project closer to a public-use amenity that district leaders say is meant to be safer, more durable and more inclusive than the 2010-era layout.

The rebuild carries a price tag of almost $2 million and is being funded through Basin Recreation’s approved 2026 capital budget, impact fees and a $500,000 Utah Outdoor Recreation Grant. District materials describe the work as a full renovation of the existing Trailside park rather than a patch job, replacing prefabricated features with an integrated concrete facility designed for long-term use.

The concept reflects months of public input. Basin Recreation began design development in March 2026, held a first workshop that month, then followed with a second workshop on April 23. A survey closed May 8 and helped shape two 3D concepts brought forward by Spohn Ranch, the design-build firm awarded the project in a phased contract on Jan. 8, 2026. District goals call for a park that is wheel-friendly, community-driven, challenging, unique, safe, usable and welcoming to skaters and spectators.

Basin Recreation Director Robert Parrish has said the aim is an “all wheels, all ages, all abilities” space. The concept materials back that up with a design intended to serve not only older skaters, but also children on smaller bikes, neighborhood riders and people using mobility devices. The plan also responds to technical problems at the site, where the current park has standing water and faces topography, drainage and bedrock constraints. Board records from May noted delays tied to bedrock encountered during testing.

The existing park, adapted from an outdoor skating rink in 2010, has grown older and more worn, and basin officials say the new version is meant to last without repeated repairs. The footprint is expected to expand from about 16,000 square feet to a little more than 25,000 square feet, with some materials pointing to a target of 20,000 to 24,000 square feet. The concept also includes about 4,500 square feet of transition-style features and 3,000 square feet of integrated pump track.

For families and riders around Trailside Park, the key next step is not the concept vote but the engineering and approval work that follows. Construction documents and permitting still have to be completed before construction begins, and Basin Recreation has not set a finish date. The district’s previous inclusive project, the all-abilities playground at Willow Creek Park in 2023, shows this is part of a broader push to build recreation spaces that more people can actually use.