The funding is in place, a firm has been chosen and soon the new skatepark in Yorkton will become a reality.
Following a presentation at City Council Monday evening council approved a plan and now the work can begin.
The Yorkton Skateboard, Bike and Walking Park Committee was awarded $150,000 from the Aviva Community Fund and Council approved matching funding of $150,000 as part of the 2012 capital budget. The Committee was also successful in obtaining an additional $50,000 from the Community Initiatives Fund for a total of $350,000 for the development of the Skateboard, Bike and Walking Park as part of the Brodie redevelopment project.
Working with the Skateboard, Bike and Walking Park Committee, city administration completed a Request for Proposal (RFP) process for selecting the Design/Build firm to build the park.
"Firms from Canada and the U.S. expressed interest in our project and we received three responses to the RFP," says Darcy McLeod, Director Community Development, Parks & Recreation for the city.
After careful review by all parties as well as local skateboard enthusiasts, a firm was selected.
At a cost of $349,610.72, New Line Skateparks based out of Calgary will take on the project and completion is expected by mid August.
"New Line Skateparks has completed over 150 concrete skateparks across Canada, the US and Europe over the last 11 years. They have experience building concrete skateparks in a climate similar to Yorkton and in flood plains like the Brodie site.
"They have completed concrete skateparks in Winnipeg, Brandon, Swan River, Prince Albert, Regina and Lloydminster along with others throughout Alberta and BC," says McLeod.
The company also has experience working with volunteers to provide on-site labour if people want to get involved.
"They also have an excellent community input process to allow people to provide input at the design stage and they also use a website to allow tracking of the project.
"New Line employs landscape architects who consider the natural and residential surroundings of the skatepark and understand that the skatepark is part of a larger development. They have experience implementing in-kind contributions of materials into the budget and construction process and either provide a credit or expand the skatepark accordingly." McLeod says skateable amenities like benches and garbage receptacles that withstand the rigors of a skatepark can also be implemented into the design.
"New Line's timeline for construction has the skatepark available as soon as the middle of August, pending approval of the final design and they have a weather contingency plan to minimize the impact inclement weather may have on the timeline."
New Line's budget also includes travel and expenses.
