A long-discussed action sports park for State College got another step closer to becoming a reality.
The borough has been awarded a $245,000 Park Rehabilitation and Development Grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources for the project, Borough Manager Tom Fountaine said at Monday’s borough council meeting.
If the project moves forward, it is expected to be constructed within High Point Park off of West Whitehall Road and would include facilities for skateboards, roller blades, scooters and bicycles.
A preliminary engineering estimate for development of the park is $500,000. The borough expects to fund $200,000, with the remainder coming from other contributions, fundraising and the state grant.
Douglas Shontz, assistant to the borough manager, said there is currently no timeframe for when the project would commence, but the grant ‘puts the timeline for completion in fall 2021.’
While the action sports park is included in the borough’s capital improvement plan, to date no expenditure of borough funds has been authorized.
Alan Sam, borough environmental coordinator, said in May, when the grant application was submitted, that State College would have three years to use the grant but would not be obligated to accept it.
‘If we apply now it keeps our options open and then we can decide at a later date,’ Sam said at the time. ‘If financially the borough can’t proceed at that time, we can either hold off for the duration of the three years or refuse the grant.’
Councilman Peter Marshall said in May that the uncertain impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on borough revenues could mean delaying or cutting discretionary capital projects like the action sports park. Councilman Evan Myers noted, however, that the grant gives the borough flexibility in deciding how to proceed.
Tussey Mountain has been home to a skate park for skateboards, bikes and scooters since 2001, but the concept of a more easily accessible action sports park in the State College area dates back to 2013 when it was first proposed to the Centre Region Council of Government Parks Capital Committee by BMX legend and local resident Jamie Bestwick. Borough staff began looking into the project the following year and it has been a part of capital improvement plans ever since.
In 2017, Orchard Park was proposed as a potential location, but that was met with opposition by residents of the Greentree neighborhood. An ad hoc committee was then formed and proposed several locations, including the planned Whitehall Road Regional Park.
It would, however, likely be years, if at all, before an action sports component could be included in the multi-phase construction of Whitehall Road Regional Park. A subcommittee of the original ad hoc committee regrouped and ultimately identified High Point Park as the preferred location.
Nearby residents did not oppose the proposal for High Point Park, which is owned by the borough and maintained by Centre Region Parks and Recreation.
