In 2023, the City of Philomath staff and Grindline held a kick-off meeting to make team introductions, review the initial overall project schedule, and clarify project deliverables and expectations. The group discussed priorities for a new skatepark, which included feature preferences, style, and the possibility of site choice.
Next, the team conducted site visits to create a matrix showing how characteristics of the three sites compared to one another. The info contained in the matrix was then used to create SWOT (Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities, and Threats) Analysis for each proposed location and to create brief narratives for each site to summarize its compatibility with skatepark design and construction. Estimates of probable costs were then created based on these narratives, and refined site-specific project schedules were developed.
The City of Philomath and the community used the findings to inform the final site selection and chose to use the existing City Park location at 299 S 23rd Steet.
Timeline
- February 2024 - Construction cost estimate was added to Capital improvement Plan with estimated project construction in 2026-2027
- January 2024 - City Council approves preliminary design
- June 2023 - Kick-off meeting between City of Philomath and Grindline