Bradenton seeks to spend $93,000 for Riverwalk skate park enhancements

BRADENTON -- The city of Bradenton will likely spend $93,000 to address erosion problems with the concrete bowl at the Riverwalk skate park.

The problems at the 3-year-old project developed because the city designed landscaping that didn't take into account human nature.

The landscaping on the slopes of the mound surrounding the bowl was never meant to bear the burden of heavy foot traffic from people walking up the steep banks toward the bowl, or bike riders using the dirt mound for tricks of their own.

Public Works Director Claude Tankersley said other reasons include using the wrong kind of soil. The city opted to use fill from the former sandpile area, which was dirt dredged from the Manatee River.

Tankersley said it is an "aggressive soil" that's unsuitable for landscaping because water doesn't percolate through it, instead running directly off of it. The combination of bad soil and unanticipated human use essentially killed the landscaping and caused the erosion.

In early May, Tankersley began to get concerned about the pace of erosion at the top of the concrete bowl. There also was a concern that water was draining underneath, potentially causing more cracks in the concrete than what would be natural settling, but that turned out not to be the case.

The good news, he said, is that the bowl is structurally sound, but the city still must deal with the erosion issues before it potentially affects the bowl.

While the solution is expensive, Tankersley said not doing anything could lead to a much more expensive repair to the bowl itself.

The $93,000 solution is to construct a new terrace style step system similar to the bowl's north side and what visitors see at the Riverwalk amphitheater. That should stop the erosion and, like the amphitheater, would allow for additional socializing areas for skaters and visitors.

Tankersley said a contractor has been selected. A capital improvement project of this size does not need to be put out for bid at the city council level, although the council does vote on approving the funding. For a project this size, Tankersley provides all of his needs to the city's purchasing department, "and they come back to me with a list of approved vendors."

"Since this is capital improvements and not repairs, park enhancement funds qualify to fund the project," said city clerk Carl Callahan.

During a workshop Wednesday, Ward 1 Councilman Gene Gallo asked why the issues being raised were not considered in the original design.

"We didn't design this," said Gallo. "It was designed by people that are supposed to know. Seems a shame to spend this kind of money this quick."

Tankersley reiterated that it was the city's landscaping decisions that caused the problems, and that designer Team Pain is one of the most sought-after skate park designers in Florida.

Because the park was built near the Manatee River, it could not be built into the ground like most skate parks. The city had to take the innovative approach to the mound in order to construct the bowl. How it looked after construction was up to the city.

"We wanted it to look nice, so that was the directive the city gave to the designer," said Tankersley. "They did what we asked them to do."

Callahan said the aesthetics of the skate park are just as important as the rest of Riverwalk.

The council is expected to vote on the skate park funding at its Aug. 12 meeting. Tankersley said upon approval, the contractor is ready to begin work immediately.

Mark Young, Herald urban affairs reporter, can be reached at 941-745-7041 or follow him on Twitter @urbanmark2014.

This story was originally published July 29, 2015 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Bradenton seeks to spend $93,000 for Riverwalk skate park enhancements."