East St. Skate Park Moves Forward with Phase 2 Construction
The Skate Park on East St. in Pittsfield is temporarily closed while the long-awaited second phase of construction begins.
Pittsfield's Parks Department reports that contractors will be on-site beginning Monday, March 22 and that this phase of the project will take approximately 10 weeks to complete. The department is asking residents to respect the temporary closure until gates officially reopen upon completion.
The park was originally constructed in 2011 using a state grant of $150,000 and $50,000 in city capital funds, the new park was built. In the early months of 2020, the Parks Department solicited the public's input on the next phase of design and construction of the skate park on the corner of Appleton Ave and East St. Design work and construction costs have been funded in part through Community Development Block Grant money.
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The original design of phase two was done with Los Angeles-based firm Spohn Ranch. The design contract cost the city $23,500 and was funded through CGBG grant money.
In September of last year Jim McGrath, the city's parks and natural resource program manager told The Berkshire Eagle that the city will "soon hire a professional skate park designer to develop schematics and construction designs". McGrath said after the original construction ended in 2011 the second phase of construction was always part of the plan.
According to state record and the Pittsfield Skate Plaza Project Facebook page, Rampage Skatepark Equipment was the apparent low bidder on the Pittsfield Skate Park Phase 2 solicitation, with a low bid of $247,000.00. Below are designs that the Pittsfield Skate Plaza Project shared on social media.