Plans are ramping up for an indoor skatepark in Rochester

Two local couples are moving ahead with plans to convert a rundown former bar into a destination skatepark.

Adam and Laura Kramer and Brad and Nina Webbles have purchased the old Whiskey Bones Roadhouse, 3820 N. Broadway, with the intent of doing the build-out themselves. 

The indoor skatepark would be the first of its kind in Rochester — with the goal of providing skateboarders a fun, safe space to continue staying active, particularly during the colder weather months.

"My son is an avid skater and absolutely loves it; and I really like what they have going on at the Silver Lake skatepark,” said Laura. “But we live in Rochester, Minnesota, where it is cold the majority of the time, so we need to have some place for them to skate for the time that they can't be down at Silver Lake."

While the nearly 8,000-square-foot building is in rough shape now — with shattered glass and graffiti — Laura said they have had other skaters come in and tour the space. The consensus: With some elbow grease, the space is big and open enough to make a skatepark work. 

"The building is extremely run down, but if you have ever been to a skate park, they don't have to be real frilly. They don't have to be in perfect shape,” said Laura. “It can be rustic looking, and that's OK.”

In addition to the ramps, The Garden, as it will be called, will also include skateboard accessories, and a coffee shop. Their hope is to have the park open by late fall or early winter.

“We would love for skaters to have somewhere to go this winter,” said Laura. “That's our goal. It's ambitious, but we are going to try."

Cover photo: File / Licensed via Cancva