Alton Entrepreneur Encourages City to Build a Skate Park
Courtney McLaughlin wants to create a community space and feel through the construction of a skate park in downtown Alton.
Our Daily Show Interview! Courtney McLaughlin: Alton Needs A Skate Park
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ALTON - Courtney McLaughlin wants to see Alton build a skate park, and almost 700 people are behind her.
In May 2025, McLaughlin started an online petition calling on the City of Alton to build a safe and accessible skate park. As of this writing, she has close to 700 signatures from Riverbend residents encouraging the city to take action.
“The energy of a skate park, especially when it is accessible, rideable, equipped, and done the right way, the energy there with the community, the kids, the adults, the friendships, the groups, the events — it’s something that you cannot match,” McLaughlin said.
McLaughlin acknowledged that Alton’s current skate facilities exist, but they are not “accessible” or “rideable.” With broken equipment, she believes it’s better to “just shut it down and condemn it” and build a new space altogether.
“Not only is the area a little bit dangerous, but the park itself is dangerous to ride,” she said. “The park itself is a liability and it’s not for community purposes. It’s just kind of something sitting there.”
McLaughlin believes a new skate park would bring a lot of benefits to the city. She explained that she personally drives up to 50 minutes out of town every day to skate at parks in St. Louis, and it’s not unusual for her to visit different states for a couple of days to skate. She argued that other skaters would travel that distance to visit Alton.
Not only would tourism increase, but McLaughlin feels this would reflect on Alton’s small businesses. More people would be drawn to downtown Alton, and they would patronize the restaurants and businesses, including McLaughlin’s own CJ’s Juicery.
As a sport, skating has several physical and mental health benefits, McLaughlin added. She wants to see more people outside and active, and she believes a skate park would encourage that activity and sense of community.
She said skaters “feel left out” with all the local focus on sports like soccer, basketball and baseball. She has built a network of friends in the St. Louis area, but she wishes she could form similar connections at a skate park in her hometown.
McLaughlin also pointed out that there are not many alcohol-free spaces in Alton where you don’t have to spend money, and there are few opportunities to build community outside of a bar or events where costs are incurred.
She added that “in [her] heart,” she wants to see the park near the riverfront, but she would accept its location anywhere in town.
McLaughlin encouraged community members who want to build a space like the skate park to sign her petition. You can email her at cjsjuicery@gmail.com with any questions or comments. She also suggested that community members could email Mayor David Goins, who has acknowledged the petition, to express their interest in the skate park.
McLaughlin shared that if Alton or a surrounding community does not build a park, she can’t see herself living and working in the community much longer.
“Honestly, I think about it, my life would completely change if I could just go five minutes down the road and build community in my hometown,” she said.
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