Greenville's proposed "wheelsports park" on "steroids"
- Charles Reams
- Aug 4
- 3 min read
What would you call a supercharged fun park with new-age rides with curves, hills, dales, and gorges? Calm down, kiddies.
Sedate city planners call it a public skatepark and pump track. By any other name, it, whatever you call it in secret, is coming to Greenville, if not soon, then, eventually.
At least, plans are moving along swiftly.
A multiphase design process will be completed over the next five months to plan out the city’s new “wheelsports park.” This process will consist of several public meetings to gather feedback from the local community.
Local residents were invited to the first public meeting, on July 28, to share their ideas and preferences for the wheelsports park.
That meeting was held at the Greenville Downtown Airport hangar. In addition, the city has posted an online survey for the public to provide input on the park.
“This is a listening session for the design team and for the city to (better) understand (local needs, said Calin Owens, a capital projects manager with the city.
The wheelsports park will be constructed on approximately 10 acres at 425 Airport Road next to the Greenville Downtown Airport. Greenville City Council approved a lease agreement for the site in September 2024.
The vision for the park includes a concrete skatepark, an asphalt pump track, and a paved bicycle playground. Art installations, shade structures, viewing areas, a central pavilion with restrooms, parking, and a connection to the Prisma Health Swamp Rabbit Trail Green Line would also be at the Wheelsports Park.
The city of Greenville hired three firms to design the new park. PORT, a design consultant based in Chicago and Philadelphia, will be responsible for the park’s planning and site design. California-based Spohn Ranch will design the skatepark, and American Ramp Co., a Missouri-based skatepark design and construction firm, will plan out the pump track and bicycle playground.
The design team will use the community’s feedback from the July meeting and online survey to develop three concepts for the wheelsports park. These designs will be presented to the public during the second meeting on Sept. 9.
Owens said the goal is not for the public to pick one of the three concepts but to find a hybrid or a blend of the best parts of each of them. These elements will be used to create a holistic vision for the park. A public meeting to present the hybrid design will be held Nov. 4.
Greenville City Council will then review the park’s final design. If approved, the design team will develop engineering drawings for the park. The project will then go out to bid and move forward with construction.
A public-private partnership will be used to create the wheelsports park. Council recently approved $1.5 million in the FY26 capital improvement program budget for the construction of the wheelsports park. The city has contributed a total of $2.75 million towards the planning and development of the project to date.
The city is seeking donations from local individuals and organizations to help fund the park. For more information, visit greenvillesc.gov/2653/Wheelsports-Park.
Design process timeline
September: Second public meeting Sept. 9, followed by a second public online survey.
October: Hybrid-design plan created.
November: Final public meeting Nov. 4 and a third public online survey. Greenville City Council review expected.
Key elements
A skatepark is a recreational area with ramps, rails, and other structures for skateboarding and other wheeled sports.
A pump track is a looped circuit that includes bumps and turns — also known as rollers and berms. If used correctly, the bicyclist does not need to pedal but instead completes a pumping motion to move across the track.
A bicycle playground is a recreational space designed to help new riders develop skills with a variety of obstacles, including ladder bridges, rollers and tunnels.
