Christchurch earthquake rebuild delays construction of Hastings Skatepark

Construction of William Nelson Park in Hastings has been delayed due to the pressure of reconstruction work being undertaken in the wake of the Christchurch Earthquake.

Premium Skateparks designed the skate component of the William Nelson Park development and was due to begin construction of the facility last month. The delay in finalising the construction contract was due to Premium Skatepark owner Jason Parkes working through the logistics of adding the Hastings project to his other commitments.

Councillor Sandra Hazlehurst says “Jason Parkes is the most experienced skatepark builder in the country and we were keen that he undertook the construction of our skatepark to ensure the highest quality facility.  The project team understands his reluctant withdrawal and recognises that committing to our project would overstretch the resources that he has available given the amount of work he has already accepted.”

Mrs Hazlehurst says “While Council is disappointed that Mr Parkes is unable to undertake the construction of the skatepark, we are delighted that he has been officially engaged as a consultant to the project and will oversee the construction of the skate plaza and bowl.”

The withdrawal of Premium Skateparks has allowed the project team to reassess the timeframe for the development. The plan was to build the skatepark first and then offer a second contract for the construction of the passive park and the children’s playground.  It has now been decided to let the construction of the entire park, comprising 2000m2 skate facility and 4000m2 inner city greenspace as a single contract. Expressions of interest for the construction of William Nelson Park have been called this week.

Mrs Hazlehurst says “The project team is working strenuously towards a start date early next year.  We understand the disappointment the delay has caused, however we hope that the community understands that Council is fully committed to delivering a Hastings City park that is of the highest standard.”

The William Nelson Park development will include a passive park, a children’s playground and a skate plaza and is to be built on an area which is bounded by St Aubyn Street, Avenue Road and King Street. The park has been named in honour of William Nelson who founded the Tomoana Freezing Works and donated the land which was used to create the former Nelson Park.