By admin 
TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News) – The city of Tucson broke ground Tuesday on the Cushing Street Skate Park, a project located beneath an I-10 underpass near West Cushing Street that began as a grassroots idea a decade ago.
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Caleb Gutierrez, the community member who first proposed the skate park at a Tucson City Council meeting in 2016, was among dozens of skaters and community members at the groundbreaking ceremony.
“It feels amazing. Right now, it still feels like I’m dreaming, in a way,” Gutierrez said.
Gutierrez said the idea came to him while riding his bike under the bridge.
“[I was ] actually riding my bike underneath this bridge here to get coffee, and I grew up skateboarding, so seeing this empty space, I was like, this is the perfect spot for a skate park,” he said.
One funding source for the project included Ward 1’s Budget de la Gente program, an initiative under Tucson Vice Mayor Lane Santa Cruz. “It takes something like the freeway, that divided neighborhoods and communities, and it’s making it a space for people to come together,” Santa Cruz said.
The event drew skaters of all ages and skill levels. One attendee, who gave only her first name, Lydia, said she skates on the other side of the area and was unaware of the project until Tuesday.
“I skate on the other side and never knew anything was going on over here, so I’m really excited about it. Trying to get my grandkids to go with me,” she said.
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Gutierrez said he hopes the project encourages others with grassroots ideas to keep pushing.
“Don’t give up. I think there’s always positivity and support in the community, so I think there’s a chance that something great can happen,” he said.
Construction is expected to last approximately six months, with the skate park projected to be completed by the end of the year.
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