The cost estimate for a new Poe Pinson Skate Park at Main Beach has come in at $2 million as Friends of Fernandina Skate Park prepare to make their pitch for funding from the city.
The design, which calls for a new overlay of features over the existing skate park foundation and a new addition, was done by American Ramp Company and quoted at $1,986,000 to build. Not included in the quote were components that push the final costs to well over $2 million when all is said and done. Those excluded costs include sales tax, erosion and sediment control, stabilized construction entrance, landscaping, site and turf restoration post skatepark construction, mass excavation or import and construction drawings.
Friends of the Fernandina Skate Park President Waldemar 'Wally' Borrero said the estimate was in keeping with the goal of having the finest skate park on the east coast and a destination attraction for Amelia Island.
"No other sport in our county has produced an Olympian and we know we have the potential right now of producing two or three more Olympians (in our program)," Borrero said. "We wanted them to give us the nicest skate park on the east coast. We want it to be a destination place. It’s the only skate park on the east coast that has the extraordinary view that it has."
The next step is for the group to ask the city of Fernandina Beach for the money to build the facility.
"Obviously, we want to see if the city would fund the entire project. The question is, how do we get there?" said Mike Nichols, treasurer of Friends of Fernandina Skate Park. "The skate park is a great investment. The task is can we figure out how to pay for it."
Friends of Fernandina Skate Park will first make a presentation to the city's Parks & Recreation Advisory Committee (PRAC) in March. If approved by PRAC, the organization would then proceed to the city commission in April.
The design was funded by $30,000 from the city from a budgeted total amount of $90,000 of which $50,000 was a grant from Nassau County. The city commission held back $60,000 to be used for construction drawings once the final design is approved.
"We won't know the actual construction price until we have the design-build and construction drawings. All we have are pretty design pictures that American Ramp used to give us an estimate," Nichols said.
Friends of Fernandina Skate Park originally estimated the skate park would cost $1.2 million at PRAC's meeting last August.
How much money the city will contribute to the project is to be determined by city commissioners in April.
Parks and Recreation impact fees gathered by the city could serve as one source.
According to City Comptroller Susan Carless only $358,000 is available to use from those impact fees.
Approximately $2.1 million in impact fees are allocated to the waterfront park, and an additional $1.4 million is allocated for the new soccer fields at Ybor Alvarez.
At its November meeting, Mayor James Antun suggested Friends of the Fernandina Skatepark conduct a fund-raising campaign to help fund the project.
"My business will be the first to contribute," Antun said.
Another option could be to use funds generated from the county bed tax, overseen by the Amelia Island Tourist Development Council, which reports to the Nassau County Commission.
At last Wednesday's joint meeting of the County and City commissions, County Manager Taco Pope spoke about the availability of TDC money to use for the skate park.
Currently the county has committed TDC funds for a beach harmonization project that includes all of Fernandina Beach shoreline parks. Pope prefaced his comments that TDC funds would not be available in the "foreseeable future."
"The further expenditure of Tourist Development Tax dollars for a new project would have to undergo the same process as the beach harmonization which would be a robust comprehensive study that we would be heavily involved in to determine if it's viable expenditure. Then you ultimately have a public policy decision about the expenditure of those funds," Pope said. "So, I would say it's (skate park funding) not on the immediate horizon to have that discussion."
Pope said the city's Main Beach Park is on schedule in about 24-to-36 months of the beach harmonization program. According to Nichols, the city has applied to the state for a $400,000 grant to goes towards construction. Half of that amount would be city funds.
Friends of Fernandina Skate Park officials said they are willing to assist in fundraising for the skate park initiative.
"The city must approve it first. But we feel there are enough people in this community we can rally to help us build this. This is a great investment for the city," Nichols said,
Founded in 1998 and based in Joplin, Missouri American Ramp Company specializes in building skateparks, bike parks and bicycle playgrounds. The company lists 129 above ground skateparks it has built across the U.S. including a $8 million facility in Jax Beach.
"We've come a long way and having Poe in the Olympics last year put some fire behind our efforts. But this isn't a new idea, we've been working on this for the past 10 years. It takes time," Nichols said.
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