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Free indoor skatepark coming to Allston

Armin Bachman wants anybody with a deck and four wheels, and a passion for “getting radical,” to stop by the free indoor skate park that’s being constructed on two floors of a building in Allston this summer.

The Orchard Conservatory, part of a larger project called POP Allston , will feature 10,000 square feet of temporary skating space stretched between the second and third floors of the building, where athletes can grind on granite, concrete, and wood terrain.

“It’s not tiny by any means. I have skated many parks throughout the years that are a lot smaller than this will be,” said Bachman, who co-owns the Orchard Skateshop down the street from the POP Allston venture.

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Bachman said the layout of the indoor skate park will have two distinct styles, one on each floor.

The third floor will feature concrete-style ramps and blocks and have what he called a flow-style, transitional setting so skateboarders can shift from one obstacle to the next with ease.

“It’s more creative shapes for flowing and basically concrete surfing,” he said.

The second floor will have more of a street-style feel, with sustainable materials like granite used as the foundation for a portion of the two-level park.

“It’s going to be a skate park, but a little bit different,” Bachman said, likening it to the Shelter Skate Park that he once managed in Albany, N.Y.

The Orchard Conservatory will also be used to host skateboarding camps and clinics, and teach skate lessons to both beginners and experts.

Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh announced the launch of the POP Allston project, a temporary pop up community space at 89 Brighton Ave., on Monday. It’s made possible through support from Eden Properties, which owns the building, Prince Lobel LLP, the Boston Main Streets Foundation, and Converse

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Besides the Orchard Conservatory, the building will house a multi-vendor vintage market, a do-it-yourself-style bicycle repair workshop, and additional space for other community events. POP Allston will be managed and curated by Allston Village Main Streets, a nonprofit organization.

In a statement, the city officials said the Orchard Conservatory will serve as the anchor of the temporary project. The skate park will be free to the public, and open at least through May 2016. Bachman said people can start skating at the park by the end of the summer.

Once the POP Allston project comes to an end, the materials inside the skate park will be moved to an outside space in the neighborhood.

“I know people from 4 to 50 years old that will be using this space. I’m convinced and very positive that the space will be used by a lot of people every single day we can have it open,” Bachman said.


Steve Annear can be reached at steve.annear@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @steveannear.