The already-giant park at Lake Shore and Coxwell has been the site of significant earthworks (a great word) for two solid months. And now we know what it’s going to be: Not another softball diamond but an actual skate park (or skatepark).
I talked to one of the old coots who were putting up this giant billboard. Apparently his family has lived here in southernmost South Riverdale since the ’50s, and yes, the Pleasantville neighbourhood, which floods out at the drop of a hat, really was a swamp back dans la journée. The porous land is delaying the construction of the skate park, since more compaction is required than anticipated. He thinks we’ll be looking at this billboard for two years minimum.
By the way, the surrounding parkland is home to a spectral, mysterious, oft-photographed sewage-treatment building. And one of the park’s amenities has a rather odd name (“[HOLDS UP SIGN READING ‘WOLFGANG JOOP’]”):
