HomeMy Public PortalAboutTOL PR 2017-01-31 Skate Park Renamed
Town of Leesburg
News Release
For Immediate Release
January 31, 2017
Media Contact:
Betsy Arnett, Public Information Officer
barnett@leesburgva.gov 703-771-2734
Catoctin SkatePark Renamed in Honor of Skating Enthusiast
and Park Supporter Eric Brown
As a teenager, Eric Brown was instrumental in development of the original
Leesburg skate park.
Leesburg, VA (January 31, 2017) – The Leesburg Town Council recently renamed the Catoctin
SkatePark. The park is now simply “Catoctin Park” and the skate park elements within the park
will be the “Eric Brown Skate Plaza.”
In 1995, Eric Brown spearheaded the successful effort to establish a Town-owned skate park.
Because the Town Code prohibits skating on public streets and sidewalks, Brown and a group of
other young skating enthusiasts approached the Town Council for assistance in finding a
permissible place to skate. Brown subsequently served as the only youth member of the board
of directors for the Friends of Ida Lee, a 501(c)3 non-profit fundraising organization. Through
the efforts of this group, working with the Department of Parks & Recreation, the Catoctin
SkatePark opened in 1998 on the site of two little-used tennis courts.
Eric Brown was born and raised in Leesburg and is a 1999 graduate of Loudoun County High
School. In addition to his support of the skate park, he was an active member of the Loudoun
County YMCA and a member of the Loudoun County Rescue Squad. He currently lives in Hawaii
where he continues to advocate for skate parks and other recreational facilities.
The original Catoctin SkatePark was demolished last year in preparation for construction of the
new park on the adjacent lot. The new Eric Brown Skate Plaza at Catoctin Park is currently
under construction and is expected to be completed this spring.
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