IT’S BEEN a bittersweet week for Fremantle’s skating community; saving the Munchies Skate Park only to find the Woolstores ledge is to be broken up.
The Munchies Skate Park at Beach Street was set to be transformed into a car park by the PTA, but transport minister Rita Saffioti this week confirmed the decision had been reversed following the installation of a “No Parking” mural across the park.
WA Skateboarding Association spokesperson Zachary Tilghman says the park is a “landmark” and “in the cultural consciousness” of Fremantle’s skating scene.
• Skaters saved the Munchies skate park from demolition, with this huge mural bluntly making their point, but they say an appeal over the Woolstores Ledge will ruin it. Photo by Barry Emerald
“If you look to other global cities around the world, they understand the collective cultural value of these spaces… these are their spaces which we don’t have to spend money to exist in and provide community,” Mr Tilghman said.
“It’s a cultural hub, it’s a community centre, and sure we have [other] skate parks but it’s really not the same because these places are organic… it’s not a pay-to-play model like the rest of Fremantle’s become lately.”
Around the corner, the Woolies Ledge at the Elders Woolstores suffered a different fate, after an appeal launched by developer Human Urban was approved by JDAP to break up the ledge by adding two doorways.
According to WASA secretary Rowan White, Human Urban’s plans will “be slicing a hole” in the most “iconic” and “important” part of the much-loved Ledge.
“It’s printed on our T-shirts, it’s the part that people have tattooed on themselves… opening another doorway will inhibit the flow of the space,” Dr White said.
“These two doorways, these two concessions may not seem like much to a layperson but to a skateboarder, it completely destroys what makes it special.
“We’ve made it very clear to the developer and to everyone involved, it’s not a secret, it’s well known that the removal of this condition will not let us carry on as we have.”
Dr White says WASA have been working to develop a compromise, but that Human Urban have not engaged in any communication since launching the appeal earlier this year.
• The Munchies skate park was in the “cultural consciousness” of locals. Photo by Barry Emerald
Integrating
“We contacted Human Urban because a Swedish architecture firm who have experience in integrating skateboarding into urban designs, offered their services pro-bono to come up with an innovative solution… we asked if [Human Urban] would show us any drawings or diagrams to help them with that and they refused,” he said.
“They’ve spruced that 85 per cent of the ledge is being retained, which is true, but they haven’t modified their design for that at all… they still want to open up six doorways and make cuts in the Ledge in crucial parts so they won’t compromise on that.
“The threat, and the overall tone of the [JDAP] meeting was that [Human Urban] might pull out of this entire development over this condition, which is ludicrous.”
The skating community are “not surprised” at the appeal’s success, according to Dr White.
“Reading the reports and submissions, the decision seem to have been already made before the meeting… we did everything we could,” Dr White said.
“It’s so fresh, we have just got to pick up the pieces and decide what our next steps are… having lost the concession, that was one thing too many, so we have to decide how we can work together on anything.”
In a statement to the Chook, Human Urban director Kyle Jeavons defended the appeal but appeared to want to maintain civil relations with the skating community.
“Balancing the revitalisation of Cantonment Street is essential to the long-term success of Fremantle,” Mr Jeavons said.
“We believe this outcome will not only benefit the broader Fremantle community and future occupants of the development, but are hopeful that through continued consultation the skate community will continue to find use at the Woolstores long after the development.”
by KATHERINE KRAAYVANGER