Tender out for Westport Skatepark

roguey

This tender was posted up yesterday. Any local skaters please get involved and get busy making sure this is a decent design.
The budget for the sports area and skatepark is €200K. The tender asks for concrete whether in situ or precast.

http://www.etenders.gov.ie/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=AUG165615

The Client in this instance is Westport Tidy Towns Committee with Technical support from Mayo County Councils Architects Office and Westport Town Council.
This contract involves the design supply construction including all ground works and base preparation of one Multi Use Games Area and One Skate Park on Lands under the responsibility of Westport Town Council.
Q 136 Tender for Design & Build one Multi Use Games Area & one Skate Park - Greenway Recreational Park Westport Co Mayo
The Site is bordered to the South by the West Road and to the North by the Greenway Linear Walk.
Tenderers can submit a single proposal for both the MUGA & the Skate Park or one proposal for either the MUGA or the Skate Park.
3 SKATE PARK SPECIFICATION GENERAL
The skate park will be constructed from concrete considering a modular system or a cast in situ power floated system. The size of the actual skate park will be determined by the budget, the size of the site, the area proposed for the MUGA and features such as pathways, bridges and roads etc.
The skate park must be PAS 35 compliant and we will require the company to sign off on this. It is important, due to funding issues, that the skate park is completed as soon as possible.
The park should contain a mix of features, which could include transitioned bowls and quarter pipes, spine, ramps, flat banks, jump boxes and grind rails/ledges. The concrete will be integrated into the landscape as much as possible with banking or ledges, or consist of precast modular units on a power floated concrete surface. The fencing will comply with the recommended ROSPA/PAS 35 distance from the edge of the skating features.
A sign will be located at the gate area.
The final design of the skate park will have to be agreed with Westport Tidy Towns Committee and Westport Town Council. This will mean that there will be a series of meetings with the group. The design phase should be carried out as speedily as possible.

Does anybody know who is behind this? I am one the the people involved in the campaign for a skatepark in Castlebar and would love to get in contact with whoever is behind this

finisklin

I am surprised this is even going ahead......can't see a skatepark coming to Ballina or Castlebar on the back of this.....Frank Durcan will have a field day with this one.

nuac

Finiskiln

Why the surprise at this project going ahead in Westport?

The Tidy Towns Committee in Westport has been extremely active for a long number of years - winning the National TT competition three times in recent years and being close other years. They command wide support from the community. On their track record to date, they are likley to make a success of anything they take on.

roguey

its quite disheartening for us in Castlebar though, we've been campaigning for months for a skatepark and are making a lot of headway, to then out of no where we hear Westport are getting one ahead of us is a bit of a blow. But it's still good news overall though. Only a 15 minute journey to a skatepark now as opposed to near 2 hours!

finisklin

nuac wrote: »

Finiskiln

Why the surprise at this project going ahead in Westport?

The Tidy Towns Committee in Westport has been extremely active for a long number of years - winning the National TT competition three times in recent years and being close other years. They command wide support from the community. On their track record to date, they are likley to make a success of anything they take on.

I'm all for actvities that engage the "yoof" of today and I lament the fact that no such facilities were available for my generation growing up as it sounds a real exciting pastime. Maybe its a sport? It is on MTV a lot so its in there somewhere.

My point is that in these chaste times, is this a good investment for the council? MCC have a loan/ overdraft of €120m and I appreciate that 200k won't even make a dent in that, its perhaps indicative of an approach that is out of touch with the reality of the New Ireland (income levies, high unemployment, NAMA & Anglo etc.).

http://www.westernpeople.ie/news/story/?trs=eygbidqlql

On the bright side it will provide welcome relief and a diversion to the problems of this new age. Interesting that this appears to have come from left field as there is no coverage nor has there been in local media.....

I hope it gets completed as I can't see Ballina or Castlebar getting one.

Finisklin

Just Like Heaven

200k?? This is fantastic news. I really hope this goes to use in westport.

happyoutscan

Quarterpipes instead of halfpipes are a waste of time.

Just Like Heaven

happyoutscan wrote: »

Quarterpipes instead of halfpipes are a waste of time.

But say, a small town like westport many of the kids are gonna need to learn to drop in? You can't really learn properly to drop in and roll with the speed off a quarter pipe if your flying up another, the kids will jump off.

happyoutscan

fewtinsoffroth wrote: »

But say, a small town like westport many of the kids are gonna need to learn to drop in? You can't really learn properly to drop in and roll with the speed off a quarter pipe if your flying up another, the kids will jump off.

Dropping in can be as easily learned on a half pipe. When you see quarter pipes in small towns they are not used. The skate park opposite NUIG is the perfect example, it's never used, not even for dropping in as it's too big for beginners and only a more advanced skater can use a quarter pipe to do more than riding up and turning around. A mini half-pipe is great for doing much more than any quarter pipe.

Hopefully they will get someone who understands skateboarding (ie skaters of all levels) to design and oversee the park so it doesn't turn out to be nothing more than a mish-mash of rails, quarter pipes and whatever else they 'think' a skatepark comprises. Fingers crossed.

roguey

There isnt really going to be either quarterpipes or halfpipes. Its going to be a free flow concrete skatepark, so bowls/pools is what it is, of course there will also be the street course also. It cant be compared to any park in Galway, as they're all rhino ramps, which in my opinion are a total waste of money anyways

Just Like Heaven

Yeah i see what you mean. I have only been to the smaller skate park in Galway, the one by the big church, and the quarter pipes and ramps there aren't fantastic. What's wrong with Rhino ones? and what do u reccomend?

Peebro

roguey wrote: »

its quite disheartening for us in Castlebar though, we've been campaigning for months for a skatepark and are making a lot of headway, to then out of no where we hear Westport are getting one ahead of us is a bit of a blow. But it's still good news overall though. Only a 15 minute journey to a skatepark now as opposed to near 2 hours!

I can see why you'd be annoyed, but we have been asking for a skate park for about...7+ years? so, I can strongly say it's about time. Really excited about this. just hope they design it properly now.

roguey

Peebro wrote: »

I can see why you'd be annoyed, but we have been asking for a skate park for about...7+ years? so, I can strongly say it's about time. Really excited about this.

oh dont get me wrong, im no annoyed, im very excited about this! its just that i didnt even know there was any skaters in Westport at all, like at first i thought Westport was getting a skatepark without any skaters! but now i know:)

Peebro wrote: »

just hope they design it properly now.

you should try and get in on the design process then! if the company building the actual skatepark are in any way knowledgeable about skating (i.e: not just some random builders) then they would be foolish to not have input from the actual people that will be using it! i know i will try and get some input into it, as when its built, i guess it would be my "local" park :rolleyes: (for the time being anyways, hopefully ...:D)

Just Like Heaven

roguey wrote: »

you should try and get in on the design process then!

That's the plan, we'll look into it when we have a chance, but our knowledge isn't much better than any local builders at the moment

Peebro

roguey wrote: »

oh dont get me wrong, im no annoyed, im very excited about this! its just that i didnt even know there was any skaters in Westport at all, like at first i thought Westport was getting a skatepark without any skaters! but now i know:)


I can see how you'd think that. Ive stopped for quite a while. Mainly because the weather, Me and Fewtinsoffroth are friends, we skated together alot but himself and I pretty much became the last skaters standing! which was a hard knock to the enthusiasm. This will definitely be a revival for us, and the birth for some hopefully well If I do get involved in the design of the skate park i'll be sure to inform those here! and tell ye whats craicin'
That's of course if your not involved too. Just have to find out HOW to get involved now!

roguey

thats the design of the park, gonna be buillt by Spraoilinn. I just got it from one of the people involved. They hope to start in mid November and complete it in 6 weeks, but i'd say it'll take longer than that if the weathers crap, which it most likely will be.

I think its a pretty good design, nice little park like. All in all its good for the west, first proper concrete park, and only about 15 mins, closest concrete park to us used to be Athlone!

Just Like Heaven

roguey wrote: »

thats the design of the park, gonna be buillt by Spraoilinn. I just got it from one of the people involved. They hope to start in mid November and complete it in 6 weeks, but i'd say it'll take longer than that if the weathers crap, which it most likely will be.

I think its a pretty good design, nice little park like. All in all its good for the west, first proper concrete park, and only about 15 mins, closest concrete park to us used to be Athlone!

Awesome thankyou!!

Peebro

Thanks for putting this up. I really can't wait. It looks great, What are the proportions though?

roguey

dont know the dimensions yet, but i emailed Spraoilinn earlier today, so i should have that tomorrow hopefully!

Just Like Heaven

roguey wrote: »

dont know the dimensions yet, but i emailed Spraoilinn earlier today, so i should have that tomorrow hopefully!

Cool. There other projects look good.

thechronicit

Where in Westport is this project going to be built? It's very good idea to have this, hopefully getting the young people of the street to do something that will keep them fit and away from the booze.

Just Like Heaven

thechronicit wrote: »

Where in Westport is this project going to be built? It's very good idea to have this, hopefully getting the young people of the street to do something that will keep them fit and away from the booze.

No chance of that. It's going out the west road, after the first bridge.

lizzyvicky

Where will it be in westport though??? Is there room in the centre for a sports park, the only place I can think of is behind the pool and cinema but there's not enough room???

Just Like Heaven

lizzyvicky wrote: »

Where will it be in westport though??? Is there room in the centre for a sports park, the only place I can think of is behind the pool and cinema but there's not enough room???

It's not in the centre though.

roguey

went over today to check out the progress:

Just Like Heaven

It's been lloking like that for weeks now. Wish they'd get on with it!

yop

fewtinsoffroth wrote: »

It's been lloking like that for weeks now. Wish they'd get on with it!

Would you have worked in a foot of snow and up to -14 temps? :cool:

Just Like Heaven

yop wrote: »

Would you have worked in a foot of snow and up to -14 temps? :cool:

I was outside the morning of the -14 temps, actually. I wasn't asking them to work between 2 - 5 am.

nuac

I believe concrete may not be laid while temperature is low. Great to see sucha project going ahead in these difficult times. Congrats to all involved in Westport

yop

fewtinsoffroth wrote: »

I was outside the morning of the -14 temps, actually. I wasn't asking them to work between 2 - 5 am.

As Nuac said, concrete would crumble at MINUS temps so no point in doing it. It still stuck around -5 for most of them cold days, if you have tried to do any building work in any cold temps you would get an idea of how hard it is to do.

Just Like Heaven

I am aware. And i wasn't dissing anybody or blaming them for not working, I am aware that it is not the builder's fault, they had to wait for the concrete from Germany anyway. Perhaps i wasn't as clear as i should have been but i certainly wasn't blaming the builders.

The slightest lack of clarity and you start getting replies with :cool: at the end of them though.