Come to the Mud Island meeting-it's time

Coming up in March and early April is your opportunity to make Memphis a great place to skate and recreate outdoors.

The Riverfront Development Corporation (RDC), which manages Mud Island River Park, sent SkateLife the dates for the master planning meetings.

These meetings are being held so that the public can help the RDC decide how to master plan Mud Island.

Here is what the consulting group says who will be doing the planning for the RDC. "Public input is the foundation of this study," said Traci Sampson, principal of The Consilience Group. "We want to be sure whatever happens at the park is meeting the needs of the community."

It's time to show Memphis that we are desperate for more parks and recreational outlets - especially for wheeled enthusiasts!

It is critical that we show up at these meetings - ALL of us. You all showed up in mass for the Memphis Parks and Recreation demo last spring and that was for a 12,000 sqft park. Well now we/you are asking for 80,000 sqft park. That's the size of two Louisville skate parks! What we need to do is show up. The RDC staff was not at the last demo so they need to see how many of us there really are.

This is your time to tell the RDC how a major competition skate park could make downtown a rocking place - a place not only to find great food and music but to recreate and be entertained by skating. A place for the Xgames or the Mountain Dew Tour or just for hanging out.

We represent a huge national demographic and we need to let RDC know we are here. This park would cost around 3 million dollars. That may seem like a lot but the RDC is already building a 30 million dollar park (Beale Street Landing) directly across from Mud Island. We are asking for a park that will be packed day and day out and in my opinion will entertain the people hanging out at the Beale Street Landing Park. I believe that the Landing park's success will depend on the presence of highly entertaining recreational venue such as a skate park on Mud Island.

What you can do

* Come and bring ALL your friends AND family
* Get the word out (blogs,email lists, media, myspace)
* Read and be familiar with the statistics below
* Pass this email on


There will be two meetings

1.Downtown Meeting
Monday March 23rd from 5:45 - 7:15 pm
Location:MIRP Harbor Landing, 101 Island Drive (gate security will give
directions) Basically drive to Mud Island and go through the security gates. It's
on Mud Island.

2.Meeting at Memphis Botanical Gardens meeting
Thursday April 2nd from 5:45 - 7:15 pm
Location: Memphis Botanic Gardens, 750 Cherry Road (near Audobon Park)


Be there and let's make Memphis the recreational epicenter for the Midsouth!