The Salida City Council unanimously approved moving ahead on a contract with Grindline Skateparks for construction of a new skatepark in Salida during their May 19 council session. The new 16,000 square foot park will be constructed in Centennial Park, as drafted in the recently updated Master Park Plan.
The effort, which has been cheered along by the group calling themselves “Friends of Salida Skateparks” is the fulfillment of more than a year’s worth of effort.
The current Salida Skate Park is small and overused. (Photo Courtesy of Sangres.com)
“This is a dream come true,” said local teen skatepark advocate Ryder Reed, who served on the interview team. “There is no doubt Grindline will provide us with a world-class park that will satisfy all users.”
The selection process included a collaborative interview team composed of city staff and members of Friends of Salida Skateparks who evaluated proposals and interviewed bidders. After securing a $350,000 Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) grant and $400,000 in matching funds from the City of Salida, Parks and Recreation Director Diesel Post posted the Request for Proposals in April.
Four design/build firms submitted proposals including California Skateparks, Evergreen Skateparks, Grindline Skateparks, and Team Pain Skateparks.
“When we got the responses back from the builders, I knew we were going to have a world-class park,” said Friends of Salida Skateparks committee member Shea Donavan. “It was amazing to see their interest in Salida and excitement about making something people will go out of their way to come to.”
Donavan, who grew up in Salida, now skates professionally while residing in Encinitas, CA. Over the past year he has been volunteering with Friends of Salida Skateparks.
Two companies tied for first place based on scoring criteria, so second interviews were conducted. The review team unanimously approved Grindline Skateparks, based in Seattle, WA. for the job.
According to local professional skater Derek Scott, Grindline is a world-renowned skatepark builder. “Grindline has decades of experience building in high altitudes of Colorado. Partnered with ideas from Friends of Salida Skateparks, I have no doubt that this will be a state-of-the-art facility that people will travel around the world to visit.”
Post says that once the contract is signed the city will gather community feedback for the design process.
“Friends of Salida Skateparks and city staff were very diligent to select a team that valued community input into the design process as much as we do. Grindline Skateparks has a very clear plan and a proven track record for soliciting feedback from the entire community in their design process,” said Post. “We are so excited about this project.”
The volunteer efforts of the local Friends of Salida Skateparks are credited with Salida securing the highly competitive GOCO grant to fund a significant portion of the construction costs. This volunteer effort also caught the attention of the Tony Hawk Foundation (THF), which funds and supports professional skateboarding competition.
“Salida is a prime example of a well planned public skatepark, said the THF Programs Manager. “We know that creating a skatepark can be challenging and we know that Friends of Salida Skateparks have the knowledge necessary to guide the process properly, ensuring the quality and contemporary standards that allow the skatepark to be fully functional, attractive, and a lasting investment.”
Recent Comments