LOS ANGELES — Armed with a paintbrush and a bucket full of primer, April Jones is determined to restore an original skate park built by the community in San Pedro. She often sacrifices her spare time to come to the Channel Street Skatepark with the help of other volunteers.

“I really come here to help because we all have the same mission, you know. We all want to skate. We all want to see it open, no needles around or trash,” Jones said.

As a skateboarder and filmmaker, Jones is doing everything she can to help reopen the skate park that had been shut down in 2014 due to an expansion of the 110 Freeway that cut through the park.

Ever since, the San Pedro Skatepark Association and one of the original founders of the skate park, Andy Harris have been working with the city of Los Angeles to get it reopened.

In October 2021, the organization announced a signed 20-year lease with the city to occupy the space. Now, Harris said they have to clean up the trash, graffiti and bring the neglected space up to code.

“We’ll have brand new code level guardrails around the entire park. We’re also doing some construction on an area that was torn out,” Harris said.

He said the organization has received paint supplies and construction donations from Vans and Spohn Ranch Skateparks, all of which are helping them inch closer to reopening and inspiring the next generation of skateboarders.

“It bred these skateboarders, it bred kids that are pro skateboarders that are internationally well known, travelled the world where that’s their job. And I think it means a ton because it just shows if you build it they will come,” Harris said.

If all goes as planned, Harris is hoping to see the space reopened by spring or summer of this year. Aside from volunteering, Jones is working on a documentary highlighting the legal journey the park has gone through in hopes of seeing more in other states.

“It’s a lot of work but it’s so worth it, you know? And we’re going to be shredding this place in no time,” Jones said.