Upgrade to Havre Skatepark underway, courtesy of Ament

Havre Skatepark will be closed to the public for two to three weeks as work, funded by Pearl Jam bass player Jeff Ament, is completed at the park.

"The City of Havre is asking the public to stay off the old slab until the work is complete," the city of Havre said in a press release.

Evergreen Skateparks is placing new obstacles on the concrete slab.

A crew from Evergreen Skateparks was already out working on the park Wednesday in order to try stay true to the three-week deadline.

Evergreen Skateparks is the same company that made upgrades to Havre Skatepark, and they are responsible for multiple skating locations.

Sean Kelly, an Evergreen employee, said a group of about half a dozen people would be working on the skatepark over the next few weeks. City officials request that skaters stay off the main section of the park while construction is ongoing - the bowl on the west end of the park will still be open.

Kelly said the company will be installing three new features in the coming weeks. He said a mound will be placed in the center of the park, a new feature will be added to the north edge of the park, and the pocket on the south end of the park will be remodeled.

"Plus, Jeff Ament is funding the whole thing, which is really cool," Kelly said.

Ament, the bassist for world-renowned rock band Pearl Jam and a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, is a Big Sandy-native who is an avid skateboarder. He has helped build skate parks in multiple communities in Montana and other states, including his native Big Sandy, Browning, Hays, Malta and in Missoula, where he has a residence.

Havre Skatepark was originally dedicated in 2005. In 2015, Ament donated $50,000 for additions to the Havre park.

For more information about the park's closure, call the Havre Parks and Recreation Department at 265-5781.

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Havre Daily News managing editor Tim Leeds contributed to this report.