With the Emry Skatepark officially opened, the next step will be realigning the walking trail.

“We are asking for funding in our upcoming budget to resurface the other tennis courts here so that we can turn it into additional parking,” Roanoke Rapids Parks and Recreation Director Kelly Daughtry said Wednesday.

The completion of that project will put the new parking spaces closer to the skatepark and will also serve as overflow parking during T-ball season. T-ball season traditionally has put parking onto Cleveland Street, she said. “We wanted to reroute the trail behind all of this.”

The estimated cost of the project is around $75,000, she said. That cost includes resurfacing, painting, and striping.

The department is also working on renovations to the restrooms with available funds.

Once those renovations are completed, Daughtry said, “This park will be a lot better off than it was.”