The city of Chewelah wants to improve outdoor recreation for kids in town.
And they just got half a million dollars in grant money to do it.
“We’re just a very, very small community of about 2,700 people, so recreational opportunities for youth is very limited. This is going to be so much fun to have right in our downtown core area,” said Tonya Wallace, city administrator for Chewelah.
Awarded by the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program, Wallace said the city will be using the $500,000 grant to build a skatepark, a play area for young children and a place for parents to sit. She said construction will take place right next to the city hall where a skatepark used to exist. That skatepark closed back in 2022.
“I can’t wait to see a different view out of my office window, and welcome a little bit of noise. We really want this to be an attraction,” Wallace said.
Initially, when the city applied two years ago, she said their proposal included a skatepark as well as a climbing wall and a multisport court.
However, with changes in construction costs, she said they are re-evaluating their plans and making the skatepark the focal point, considering that the site of the old skatepark is used almost daily.
“There are kids that come there to roller blade, to skateboard, so to have additional amenities is just going to be a huge improvement,” Wallace said.
Stephanie Clark, principal at Gess Elementary, said while she’s only been principal for a year, she can see that resources are stretched thin in the area.
“I think that the park here is utilized by families. It’s full all the time, and the kids, that’s where they go to hang out. So I think it’s a step in the right direction,” Clark said of the new project.
According to the Census Reporter, Chewelah has an estimated 16% youth population. Wallace said they hope to have the park done by the end of 2026.
“We’re very excited about this,” she said.
