Pitcher Park Finds Home in Carnegie

Pitcher Park, the much-discussed skate park originally planned for , has found a home in Carnegie.

Mary Pitcher, the woman who has worked for years to build a skate park in her late sons’ memory, chose Carnegie Park for the location of her dream.

“I don’t know how to explain it,” Pitcher said. “It’s been so long. I’ve just really wanted to get it done. It’s great to see it finally coming to a home.”

Pitcher and organizers had considered and Mt. Lebanon. Ultimately, Pitcher said, Carnegie Park’s terrain and proximity to major roads and nearby neighborhoods made it an obvious choice.

“The flow of Carnegie Park with the hillside there is perfect,” she said.

The skate park has been a project years in the making. Pitcher originally hoped . When , she turned her attention to other South Hills communities.

Two of Pitcher’s sons drowned in July 2008 while at a reservoir in the Allegheny National Forest. The family originally lived in , but Pitcher has since relocated to Scott Township.

Her biggest concern with the skate park was to find a suitable community that could serve the youth.

“It’s all about the kids,” Pitcher said. “The mayor of Carnegie said it would be a jewel for the community.”

A designer from Seattle came in recently visited the area and deemed Carnegie Park as the best place to build the skate park. Now Pitcher and her allies, who include the Ken & Carol Schultz Foundation, are putting up money to make the project viable.

Ken Schultz, a former Bridgeville resident and Chartiers Valley graduate, has offered to put up thousands to build the skate park. Although he has moved, Pitcher said he wanted to fund the majority of the project if the community could raise a small portion to make it viable.

Pitcher held a ceremony at Carnegie Park on Thursday night to unveil a sign for the new skate park. She said she hopes local kids and the community design the skate park.

For more information about the project, go to http://www.pitcherpark.com.

This article originally appeared on Chartiers Valley Patch.

Follow Dormont-Brookline Patch on Facebook and Twitter. For more news, sign up for our email Newsletter.