EMERSON CLOSED

By SAM KLOMHAUS

Sam.Klomhaus@gjsentinel.com

The city of Grand Junction will close Emerson Park Feb. 26 to begin construction of a “destination” skate/wheeled park, the city announced Monday.

According to city staff, the city’s two existing skate parks at West Lake Park (125 W. Orchard Ave.) and Eagle Rim Park (2736 Cheyenne Dr.) are dated and do not meet the community’s needs.

“Following tree trimming and fencing erected around the park, contractors will begin park renovations that is anticipated to continue through the summer,” the release states.

Team Pain and Clauson Rawley associates worked with the city on the design phase for the skate/ wheeled parks.

The skate/wheeled park will include a street course, an intermediate bowl and an advanced bowl, according to the release.

“We are thrilled to work with such a nationally renowned design firm to create this new state-of-theart skate park in Grand Junction,” Parks and Recreation Director Ken Sherbenou said. “With Team Pain’s expertise in building destination-level skate parks, it is expected that the new park will experience a high-level of participation drawing not only from communities in the surrounding area but even enticing skaters to travel here from Denver and Salt Lake City.”

Ford Construction was the lone bidder on the project and was awarded a $2,906,875.24 contract by City Council last month.

“The contract includes Team Pain as the skatepark builder, the Austin Civil Group for civil engineering, and Kaart Planning for landscape architecture,” the release stated. “Team Pain Skate Parks is a national design- build firm with more than 30 years of experience in the industry. They specialize in custom skate structures, concrete skate park facilities, indoor facilities, and high-profile specialty structures. They have designed and constructed 26 concrete skate park facilities throughout Colorado and more than 350 skate structures and skate parks worldwide.”

The city had anticipated a lower bid for the project, and also was not invited to apply for a Great Outdoors Colorado grant that it had been hoping to use to help fund the project.

In response, staff moved $625,000 that had been planned for the “re-imagining” of Whitman Park to the Emerson Park project. The Whitman Park project is now planned to cost $150,000 in 2024 for design work.

The city closed Whitman Park to the public Sept. 12 for the “re-imagining.”

Whitman Park had formerly been a common spot for unsheltered people to gather and receive meals and other services. Since Whitman Park’s closure, many of the people who would congregate at Whitman Park have moved to Emerson Park, which is four blocks to the east.

A resource center for unsheltered people and other vulnerable community members is scheduled to open at 261 Ute Ave. later this week.

The center, which is slated to replace Whitman Park and Emerson park as a gathering space for unsheltered people, will be open during the day and allow people to go to the bathroom, take showers, store their belongings, eat and receive services.

The city of Grand Junction pledged $912,000 from the American Rescue Plan Act for the facility’s construction and operations through the end of 2023. The facility is being organized by United Way of Mesa County and HomewardBound of the Grand Valley. Homeward-Bound staff will manage the “low-barrier” site.

A ribbon-cutting for the center was held Dec. 11.

A Friday memo to Grand Junction City Council estimated the center was 95% complete and final interior wiring, plumbing and wiring for showers could be completed by this Friday.

United Way of Mesa County Executive Director Zebulon Miracle said Tuesday the workers are waiting on an electrical panel to arrive. After the panel is installed and tested the site can be inspected to receive its certificate of occupancy.

“We’re still plugging away as fast and as diligent and as hard as we can,” Miracle said.

Miracle said the panel could arrive any day now.

“Temperatures are dropping and we understand people are looking for a place to go and people are looking for resources, but the site has to be able to open safely,” Miracle said.

In the meantime, the site has opened up for some non-profits to provide limited services such as Mutual Aid Partners’ distribution day, which was held at the site the past couple of Tuesdays. The site’s organizers received a special use permit for such limited events at the site.

“We’re trying to be as nimble and creative as we can in getting these services out to people,” Miracle said.

Tents, bicycles and people experiencing homelessness are now more prominent in Emerson Park since the City of Grand Junction closed Whitman Park in September. City Council approved an almost $3 million budget and accepted a proposal to build a skate park in Emerson Park in 2024. Emerson Park closed Tuesday for the skate park.

LARRY ROBINSON/ The Daily Sentinel