The Ocala City Council approved a $973,000 contract to expand the Ocala Skate Park with additional bowls, a snake run, and a paved walking path.
The contract with Platform Group, LLC was approved during the council’s regular meeting on Tuesday, March 4.
In addition to the base of $884,561, the contract also includes a contingency of $88,457, for a total project expenditure of $973,018, according to city records.
“I’m excited to see this one. I know when I was first elected I had a lot of people ask me about the second phase, and when Pete [Lee] was made the city manager he just kind of picked up that plan and ran with it,” said Ocala City Council president Kristen Dreyer.
A conceptual summary provided by Platform Group, which is based in Tampa, shows that the design will include “nods to the local area, incorporating palm trees and local artwork that reflects the vibrant culture of Ocala.”
“Creating strong connections to existing features is a crucial aspect of design, as it allows for the integration of new elements into the existing context, while complementing and enhancing their surroundings,” reads a statement from the company’s conceptual summary.
The city of Ocala held an official ribbon-cutting ceremony for its skate park in May of 2019.
At the time, city officials were clear that the park was not yet complete. The $410,000 street course represented the first phase of a larger plan which called for the snake run, larger bowl, lighting, pavilion and other necessary amenities to fill out the park.
The skate park was the first official skate park endorsed by the city of Ocala within city limits.
Platform Group will perform the construction over the course of four phases.
The timeline for the project suggests the group will begin construction in the coming weeks and should finish the expansion this year.
The Ocala City Council meets on the first and third Tuesday of every month at Ocala City Hall (110 SE Watula Avenue) at 4 p.m.