The massive skate bowl and rolling dirt tracks at Wheel Park in Aurora are like a second home to dozens of skaters and BMX bikers who live anywhere near the 25-acre park, and the city is hoping to expand that community of athletes this summer.

Next month, the city will begin a project to rip out the concrete at an in-line hockey rink built more than a decade ago and replace the hard surface with synthetic grass to accommodate new activities. The rink will be converted to host activities like box lacrosse, soccer, flag-football practices, classes, clinics and games that aim to increase revenue for the city’s recreation programs.

“The courts were originally built at a time when in-line hockey was very popular,” said Tracy Young, manager of planning, design and construction at Aurora Parks, Recreation and Open Space. “Interest in that sport has declined and the rinks are not used as intended.”

The rink at Wheel Park, off South Chambers Road and East Iliff Avenue, is of one of three identical playing areas that were once home to a massive in-line hockey program that no longer exists in the city because of waning popularity.

“We had over 70 (youth hockey program) teams at one point and (they) would play on all three courts on Sundays when it first opened,” said Todd Steinkamp, sports supervisor for Aurora. “The program does not exist anymore. In fact, the only agency that has a standalone youth hockey league nowadays is Parker.”

Jesse Nickerson, 25, said he was part of that recreational in-line hockey program about 15 years ago.

“We haven’t had in-line hockey for years,” Nickerson said. “It just died down and people started using this park for different things. So I moved over here and got into the skate scene instead. Those rinks just sort of faded into the background along with in-line hockey.”

What the old rinks are being used for today, however, is mainly a targeted practice court for the University of Denver’s premier lacrosse team, its Denver elite box lacrosse program and the Lacrosse Training Center of Denver.

“It’s actually our home practice facility right now. We’re over there a few times a week through the course of the whole summer and spring,” said Matt Brown, associate head coach of DU’s lacrosse program. “Prior to finding those facilities three or four years ago and starting a rental agreement with Aurora, I think they were about ready to demo all three pads. We’re very lucky to have found them.”

Brown said he’s excited about the renovation of the western-most court because the installation of synthetic turf will create a more conducive field for practices, which they have for up to four hours, three times a week.

“We can play box lacrosse on just about any surface … but what’s nice about synthetic turf is that we’ll be able to use them during all kinds of weather and not risk slipping on wet concrete,” Brown said. “There’s really nothing like this park anywhere else in town. It’s centrally located for us and really just ideal in every way.”

Aurora contracted the project to Academy Sports Turf, which recently wrapped up an $11 million synthetic field project at the Aurora Sports Park. Work at Wheel Park should begin in July, and the approximately $150,000 project should be wrapped up by fall.

The other two in-line rinks will remain concrete and serve as drop-in hockey and box lacrosse sites, as well as host a new bike polo program from a local organization taking root there this fall, Young said.

Bike polo is an internationally recognized team sport relatively new the U.S. It is similar to traditional polo, except that bicycles are used instead of horses.

“We would love to see night lighting added to the park, too, in a perfect world,” Brown said. “Maybe even an open area shelter over top of it. If that ever happened, I think our program would skyrocket and go through the roof.”

Young said no other renovations of the park are planned at this time, but parks officials said they are excited to see the rinks go through a revitalization after so many years.