Community on deck: Ezra Fredericks Ball Park to expand with skate and play features

ST. THOMAS — Concrete waves are rolling into St. Thomas as the Virgin Islands Board Sports Federation broke ground Tuesday at Ezra Fredericks Ball Park on a multiuse skate and bike park, complete with a playground and shade structure.

Around 30 people showed up, including parents and children, as skaters grabbed their decks and dug into the gravel — clearing a major gap forward in creating a community-centered space in the Estate Frydenhoj park where skaters and locals can unite. “Here we are, in the neighborhood of about a million dollars raised in not only monetary donations but in-kind contributions as well,” Jon Gazi, VIBSF president, said.

A skate park in St. Thomas has been a dream for Gazi and local skaters for nearly 25 years. Things started rolling on March 10, 2020, when entertainer Benny Demus set up a meeting between the VIBSF and then-Sports, Parks, and Recreation Commissioner Calvert White. “But that was two days before the world shut down,” Gazi said, referring to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.