Hey Everyone,

We just wanted to take a moment to give you an update on what is going on with Cinder Skatepark. We have been working diligently on the reopen. The delay we are experiencing has been very hard on everyone and for that we are deeply sorry. Please know that we are very passionate about what we do. We know that Cinder is like a second home for hundreds of skaters across the greater Charlotte area. Please don’t misconstrue this delay as a lack of desire on our part. Nothing could be further from the truth.

There have been some significant challenges as we try and reopen. We’ve already experienced several major set backs: 1) The commercial real estate industry moves at a snail’s pace. It really is unbelievable how disinterested property owners seem to be regarding renting out their buildings. 2) The price of the buildings. Renting a large enough space to accommodate what we have in mind (a street plaza type layout) is very costly. 3) Donations are down. We’ve been fortunate enough to have many great people and organizations donate small and large sums of money to not only launch the original park, but also help keep the lease paid all these years, the lights on, the staff paid, etc. As you know, the economy has taken a huge hit, which effected us significantly and still does to this day. As most of you know, The Cinder Project is a non-profit organization. No one owns it. We’re not in it for the money. If we were, we would’ve never opened a skatepark/shop. Skateboarding, believe it or not, is not a lucrative business, unless of course you are a large shoe and/or apparel company.

With God’s help, and yours, we’re going to push forward with the goal of opening a park considerably better than the former one. Let’s dream together and be hopeful. This is as much your park as it is ours. Here’s our promise moving forward: we’ll do a lot better job keeping you informed. Keep checking the website for updates.

Thanks for your continued support.

-Cinder Skatepark