Electing to go above its previous pledge, the Macon County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously on March 14 to pay off the last $60,576 of construction costs to make the Whitmire property skatepark a reality.
“We’ve been beating this for two, three years…those kids, they’re begging for this…let’s build this skate park, get it over with, and give these kids something to do and go onto the next thing like an ADA playground…. I’m ready to roll on this,” board chair Paul Higdon said before the vote.
This new funding will complete raising the $262,250 needed for construction, including the $50,000 the Town of Franklin will commit in its 2023-24 budget year. Previously, the county committed $35,000 to the skate park. Approximately $160,000 has been raised.
The funding vote came after a presentation by Franklin Town Manager Amie Owens. She said the town staff will have the grading done by the first week of May, done by town staff. With town crews doing the grading work, that knocked down the construction cost from $294,750 to $262,250. Owens said Artisan Skateparks and Pillar Design Studios will start construction in late May or early June, and they have 120 days to finish.
“By late summer, we will actually have a skatepark for individuals to utilize,” Owens said.
The construction costs include a 10% contingency in case of overages.
Owens formally requested the county to pledge $50,000. Commissioner Danny Antoine commended the $39,000 raised by community members, which includes the local fundraising group Sk828, putting forth the motion to cover the remaining costs so groups like Sk828 wouldn’t be on the hook for the last amount.
The discussion over the motion led to some confusion, as Antoine’s original motion was for $110,575, but after questioning by Commissioner John Shearl over the amount, the motion was amended to $60,576. The total remaining was $60,575.24, but Finance Officer Lori Hall recommended rounding up to $60,576, saying the county doesn’t budget cents.
Owens said there are still other accessories that need to be funded, such as benches, sunshades, etc.
In a further update about the Whitmire property, Owens said the plan is for the town and county to partner together in applying for a Parks and Recreation Trust Fund (PARTF) grant in May 2024 to build an all-inclusive playground on the Whitmire property. Owens said more than 500 individuals responded to their survey, including 125 in person, saying “loud and clear” they want an all-abilities playground. Owens said this playground will be different than other all-abilities playgrounds and be something people can enjoy without driving elsewhere. Antoine has previously spoken about his desire for an all-abilities playground, which would be the first of its kind in Macon County.