born of Tragedy and love born of Tragedy and love

Northville Township Supervisor Mark Abbo was the first to speak at the emotional groundbreaking ceremony for the Unity Skatepark on June 13 at Millennium Park.

Abbo discussed all the hard work and effort in took to get to this point, a journey that began in September of 2020 when Dominic Duhn was killed while riding his skateboard along Sheldon Road. From that tragedy the new skatepark was ultimately born.

“This is a very special moment,” Abbo told the gathering of dozens of people, which included many public officials, but also Dominic’s family and friends.

Abbo said the project would not have been possible without the tireless efforts of Dominic’s mother, Gabriella Duhn, who has been the project’s leading proponent and fundraiser. She not only raised around $400,000 for the project, but also convinced city and township leaders (as well as residents who might bristle at the idea of a bunch of skateboarders coming into town) that it was a good idea.

“It was the pure will and determination from Gabriella Duhn that created this project,” said Abbo, as the two hugged. “You just kept pushing on and made this happen.”

Total cost for the project is expected to be $655,500. Northville Township contributed $150,000 to the project as well as the Millennium Park land for the 11,000 square foot skatepark. In addition, Wayne County Parks contributed $83,327 of the township’s allocation from the county parks millage to the project, as well as $8,123 for the City of Northville. The Duhn family raised the rest.

The latest addition to the park is a gathering area, where kids and others can just hang out. That’s what the park is all about, according to Gabriella Duhn.

She said she chose the name “Unity” because her son brought a lot of people together.

“Dominic had an eclectic group of friends that he brought together. And that is what I envision this place to be -- a place to bring people together,” she said.

While Gabriella was the driving force behind the project, she gave credit to her other son, Enzo, and Dominic’s best friend Jack Tsalis for coming up with the idea of the skatepark. Tsalis provided a few remarks at the groundbreaking. He said it only makes sense that it is at Millennium Park, where he and Dominic spent many days of their childhood.

The California-based Spohn Ranch Inc. is overseeing the design and construction of the skatepark, which will include a pump track, rails, a bowl, ledges, pads and embankments that will appeal to all levels of skateboard users. Spohn Ranch is still completing the final design, which is being based on a number of focus groups they hosted and an online survey that community members were encouraged to fill out.

“Growing up, this is where we hung out in this park, so it is humbling to have the skatepark here,” he said. “This is where I met so many friends and had experiences that helped shape my life. I really hope this park gives kids in the future the same opportunities.”

Northville Mayor Brian Turnbull, who also spoke at the groundbreaking, said construction is expected to begin in July and will be complete by October.

Fittingly, there will ultimately be a memorial on the site honoring Dominic and his message of unity.

“Out of love this place was created,” Gabriella Duhn said.

For more information, visit Skateparkproject.wixsite.com/northville.

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