Redeveloping Baghdad: a skatepark isn't the only odd project on the horizon

"Hey! I hear they're building us a skatepark!" In this week's Westword cover story, Jared Jacang Maher reports on California businessman Llewellyn Werner, who's decided that the next logical locale for a skaterboarders' paradise is... Baghdad! It's a bizarre tale of entrepreneurship. But skaters -- and, yes, they do skate...

By Joe Tone

October 1, 2008

[
        {
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size",
          "component": "12017618",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "17242653",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18838239",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17261320",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18838239",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - Leaderboard Tower - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17261321",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        }
      ]

"Hey! I hear they're building us a skatepark!"

In this week's Westword cover story, Jared Jacang Maher reports on California businessman Llewellyn Werner, who's decided that the next logical locale for a skaterboarders' paradise is... Baghdad! It's a bizarre tale of entrepreneurship.

But skaters -- and, yes, they do skate in the Middle East -- aren't the only ones excited about potential development in Baghdad. So are gamblers! In his reporting, Jared came across the video below -- apparently from some sort of English-language public-access show, in which an especially Borat-like host awkwardly interviews an American businessmen who wants to build a casino in the Green Zone.

Maybe we did ignite the flames of Democracy over there after all!

KEEP WESTWORD FREE... Since we started Westword, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Denver, and we'd like to keep it that way. Your membership allows us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls. You can support us by joining as a member for as little as $1.