Pensacola skate park could be complete by next year as first phase of $25 million project

Emma Kennedy
Pensacola News Journal

The long-awaited skate park under the Interstate 110 overpass could be a reality by next year if the City Council approves a $700,000 funding request expected to come soon from the mayor.

Pensacola Mayor Grover Robinson said this week that he plans to bring forward the proposal to the City Council next month in the hopes they will fund the project and get it complete by the time he leaves office in November 2022.

The skate park is expected to be the first development in an overarching $25 million project for the 1.9-mile corridor along Hollice T. Williams Park, connecting the neighborhood around the I-110 overpass with downtown.

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The entire design, which is a joint effort with the city and Escambia County, will include sporting fields, an amphitheater, walking and biking trails, the public pool that already stands on the property, the skate park and green spaces.

The skate park specifically was proposed for the park in 2015 when local activist and skater Jon Shell launched his organization Upward Intuition to begin raising funds for the park to be named after his late friend Blake Doyle.

Shell raised initial funding close to $500,000, including a $100,000 grant from Gannett’s “A Community Thrives” fund, but once the city and county got involved, the project took on delays due to the procurement process.

Robinson said Monday that he’s recently met with county officials who are confident in being able to fund the entire project, but the city is looking to construct the skate park as the first step in the whole design. He said he plans to present a funding proposal to the city next month to pay for the remaining $700,000 needed for the skate park.

“I think it’s a great looking plan, I’m very excited about what it looks like and what (we’re) presenting,” Robinson said.

Escambia County RESTORE manager Matt Posner said Wednesday that engineers are working on the conceptual design right now, which should be complete by next month, which will then trigger a period of reviews, public input and redesigns that likely will last until early next year.

“This is a fairly large project, and park for that matter, so it remains to be seen if the entire park is constructed all at once or perhaps phased in a way,” Posner said. “We know phase 1 will be the skate park block, and we hope that’ll get under construction this year, then moving through the rest of the park is a matter of funding.”

New renderings show what the final design of a $25 million project for the 1.9-mile corridor along the Hollice T. Williams Park will look like once complete. The design features sporting fields, an amphitheater, walking and biking trails, the public pool that already stands on the property, the skate park and green spaces.

Posner said officials are eyeing RESTORE funds for the project, which is a pot of money from the BP oil spill settlement; Local Option Sales Tax funds; or outside grants from state and local government.

The city and county also are working with outside agencies on the project, such as the Florida Department of Transportation, to ensure there’s a safe way for cyclists and pedestrians to cross Cervantes Street. They also hope to close off Avery Street, which crosses through the park design, to make the area more pedestrian and bike friendly.

Emma Kennedy can be reached at ekennedy@pnj.com or 850-480-6979.