The late Andy Kessler built Riverside Skate Park with all skater levels in mind, creating a place for users to progress toward the professional level. As his legacy is considered in this project, the skate park’s design responds by maintaining a theme of “progression” in the skate park, providing elements from beginner to advanced and everything in between. The transition from beginner to advanced was vetted by the local skater community, as well as the professional skate park designer sub-consulting on this project, California Skate Parks.

The design also responds to the context of the site, which overlooks the Henry Hudson Parkway and the Hudson River with terraced seating facing west. Benches, plantings, and materials were chosen to retain Riverside Park’s historical identity and withstand the potentially aggressive contact with skateboards, rollerblades, etc. Metal edges on the skate park features, hardy and protected plantings, and wood benches are anticipatory of the skating program and are proven to last in such an environment.