The sound of wheels hitting concrete blends with bursts of laughter and cheers.

At the heart of Downtown Santa Ana, an alleyway, once used as a trash enclosure and turnaround for delivery trucks, has been transformed into the city’s newest skate park. The space between the Frida Cinema and the city-owned parking garage on 5th and Spurgeon Street is now a place for the community.

“(The alleyway) wasn’t bringing any benefit to the city or the downtown,” said Ryan Chase , the real estate developer behind the project. “And so we thought, maybe we could activate this.”

Santa Ana city officials and the skate park founder hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony to launch the new East End Skate Park, located in an alley in Santa Ana on Friday, Sept. 5, 2025. Pictured, from left, Councilmember Phil Bac

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