Westfield skate park contract awarded; construction begins July 1

A rendering from Platform Group shows the proposed layout of a new skate park in Westfield.
Reminder Publishing submitted photo

WESTFIELD — Mayor Michael A. McCabe announced that construction on the long-awaited rebuild of the Westfield Skate Park is set to commence in early July following a successful bid process.

A construction contract of $892,950 has been signed with Baskin Builders Inc. of Hampden, who will work with Catamount Skateparks of Vermont to build the park, once they’re completed with the demolition of the existing 25-year-old skate park in Amelia Park.

Community Development Director Peter Miller said six bids ranging from $892,950 to $1.3 million were received.

“It’s exciting,” Miller said. He said Baskin Builders has done work in town before, and Catamount Skateparks is a really good builder of skate parks. He shared that one of the stipulations in the bid was that the general contractor hire a skate park builder to do the skate park aspect of it. The goal was to base it on the design completed by SLR Consulting of Agawam and Byron Hubbard of Platform Design Group, which incorporates new skate features for all-wheel users of all ability levels.

“We are fortunate. Pretty much all of the bids that came through were within our budget,” he said.

The Westfield Skate Park is being funded by an $800,000 grant from the U.S. Land and Conservation Fund through the U.S. Department of the Interior, a Community Preservation Act grant of $500,000, and another $300,000 appropriation from free cash approved by the City Council.

Friends of the Westfield Skate Park has also raised private funds for amenities.

Miller said the federal grant will be expended first, and the CPA grant after that. “The project came in well under budget. The hope is that we can avoid using the free cash money that was set aside of $300,000,” he said.

Skateboard advocate and Westfield native Jeff Burke first brought this project to the Parks and Recreation Commission in 2019, citing safety concerns and deterioration of the existing skate park that was built in 2000.

“As we prepared for the design of this new facility, our primary goal was to make a facility where experienced boarders and beginners can safely skate together,” Burke said. “These things take time; a lot of the good things in life are worth waiting for. A lot of towns rush this process and have a sub-par product. We followed the steps we were supposed to take, going to Parks & Recreation, getting unanimous support from the City Council. We met with the mayor and raised all the necessary funding. This park is going to be around for another 30 to 40 years. It’s going to be a worthwhile endeavor.”

Miller said the contract for the builders starts July 1 and will last through the end of June 2027. He said the hope is that they will move fairly quickly, but the contract will guide it. “It’s another one that we’re happy to move along. It’s been a long time coming. It’s important that you do something every two or three years to improve the recreational opportunities in town.”

“Providing safe and modern recreation opportunities for all ages and interests is a critical component to any vibrant community,” McCabe said. “This skate park, along with our spray parks, playgrounds, bike trails, and athletic fields, are important resources for exercise, socialization, and competition, and I am grateful to our state and federal partners for helping to fund this project.”