The Wright City Board of Aldermen unanimously approved a preliminary site plan and cost estimate for the city’s proposed skate park during their meeting Tuesday, Dec. 30.

Mayor Michelle Heiliger said that upon approval, American Ramp Company, who is designing the project, will work on the final plans for the park and the project will then be ready to go out for bid.

The cost estimate for the project is $959,000, of which 50% will be paid for by a grant received by the city from the Land, Water and Conservation Fund in October 2024. The remaining 50 percent will be paid 25% by the city, with an additional 25% being in the form of in-kind donations from the city, such as performing work on the skate park to assist in completion of the project.

The skatepark will be a part of the city’s new, 62-acre park located north of Westwoods Road where construction started earlier this year.

City officials expect to break ground on the project in the spring and open the skatepark in the summer or fall.

In September 2025, the city hosted a public meeting to allow residents an opportunity to view a preliminary design plan for the new facility. One of the suggestions from that meeting is that the railings on the skate park would have the logos of the Wright City R-II School District as well as Liberty Christian. Those suggestions have been incorporated into the preliminary site plan for the park.

During the September 2025 meeting, professional skateboarder and designer Julia Brueckler with American Ramp Company was on hand to discuss the plans with residents and receive feedback.

Brueckler said she was the main designer of the skate park portion of the proposed park, while there were other designers who designed the pump track portion of the project. Brueckler said the goal of the park is to create a facility that is accessible and enjoyable for everyone no matter their age or talent level. She said the park is also designed for those who skate, use scooters or bikes.

“Whatever your wheels of choice are, you should be able to find something to enjoy,” Brueckler said during the September meeting.

She noted that every skate park looks different for each person, but there are certain features that most people like to see in a skate park. So the goal was to “check as many of the boxes” as possible given the budget and size of the skate park, she said.

The park has a bowl that varies in depth from four feet to six feet deep. Brueckler said the bowl was designed to be approachable for beginners, but also had aspects for more experienced skaters and bikers. The bowl then leads to a more “street” section which includes a ledge, mini-pad and a rail, items Brueckler described as staples in any skate park.

During the September meeting, Heiliger said she is super excited to have the skate park in the community.

“It is a unique project for Warren County,” she said. “We are fortunate we have invested people in our community who have been involved in this sport for quite awhile.”

She also lauded the openness of American Ramp Company to be willing to listen to input from the local community.

The park is roughly 13,000 square feet.