EPHRAIM—After two and a half years of planning, Ephraim is close to beginning construction of a skate park at Canyon View Park that will cost up to $1 million when all phases are complete.
The city Recreation Department contracted with American Ramp Company, a manufacturer that specializes in interpreting community data to create a design and budget to fit the needs of the purchasing community.
“The goal of this project was to be very community based,” Michael Patton, Ephraim recreation director, said. “We got a lot of feedback and community input.”
The skate park will be built in phases. The first phase consists of a concrete area with railings, curbs, ledges and ramps. The Recreation Department received a $250,000 Community Development Block Grant for the first phase.
Community Development Block Grants come from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The grants are administered locally by the Six County Association of Governments.
The first phase should be completed by the end of 2023, Patton said. There is no estimated completion date for the second and third phases.
The second phase will be the bowl, also called the pool, which will be located right next to the concrete area. The last phase will be the asphalt pump tracks, compatible for bikes, scooters, skate boards, roller-skates and more. There is currently a pump track made of dirt at Canyon View Park, but it is limited to bikes.
Each phase will cost around $300,00, with an overall cost of over $1 million. Patton said the city will continue to apply for grants to fund the next phase of the park; however the only set plans are for Phase One.
In addition to the grants Ephraim has applied for, the Tony Hawk Foundation of Vista, California, which specializes in assisting skate parks, has reached out to the city.
One funding strategy the Recreation Department has been pursuing is getting in touch with local businesses to see what they would like to see in the community. Once department identifies a project that meets their wants and needs, it asks the businesses if they would be willing to fund some portion of it.
This strategy has been effective in achieving the department’s goals of using as little city budget as possible, Patton said. “We always try to be very, very transparent about what we do,” Patton said. “We want the people to know how much money things will cost and where the money is coming from.”
