HomeMy Public PortalAboutTOL PR 2017-02-02 Skate Park Renamed
Town of Leesburg
News Release
For Immediate Release
February 2, 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
New Eric Brown Skate Plaza at Catoctin Park will open this spring.
Leesburg, VA (February 2, 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.
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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