[CHARLESTON] -- On Oct. 27, the Charleston County Park and Recreation Commission (CCPRC) joined with community members and skate park advocates to officially break ground on construction of the agency’s new skate park, located at 1549 Oceanic Street on the peninsula.
The long-awaited skate park, called SK8 Charleston, began preliminary construction in April 2015. This first phase involved extensive soil work on the property for stabilization purposes.
Soil work on the property officially began after the City of Charleston released earthwork permits allowing soil improvement and surcharge work to begin. This phase improved the soft soils at the site using a compression method. Common to the Lowcountry, this involves a “surcharge” or preloading of the site, with soil as weight, to compensate or minimize post-construction settlement. Additionally, geotechnical stabilization fabric was layered within the soil for added strength. The objective was to eliminate primary consolidation settlement and enough secondary settlement, such that the residual settlement is within acceptable performance limits for construction of the park’s concrete slabs. Soils were monitored and kept in place for months to achieve the optimum soil density. Originally estimated to take six to ten months, preparing the soil for construction at the site took just five months, so that phase was completed ahead of schedule.
Soon, excess dirt will be hauled off the property to prepare the site for its next phase. This upcoming phase will be the construction of the skate park facility and the building itself, which will begin as soon as permits are approved.
Located in the Charleston Neck area on the peninsula, the site covers 25 acres with 3.3 acres of upland area. During construction, the site is closed for the safety of the public. Due to the complexity of the project, a completion date for the site is not yet known, but is targeted for fall of 2016. Updates of the ongoing project are posted at CharlestonCountyParks.com/Skatepark.
In June 2015, CCPRC hosted its second public meeting for the skate park, unveiling information about proposed park features and design concepts using input provided at the first public meeting for the park, held in 2012. Although the skate elements and associated facilities will be constructed first, the master plan reserves areas for future development of complementary recreational features to appeal to diverse visitors. To view current concept plans for the skate park, visit the link below.
Background on the Oceanic Street site and soil conditions:
Composed of 3.3 acres of highland and adjoining marsh, the future skate park property on Oceanic Street is adjacent to I-26 and overlooks the Ashley River marshes. Soil and ground condition testing was completed on site in Spring 2014, a necessary step in the structural design of the building and concrete skate features. During this process, it was determined that the site’s grounds would require extensive cleanup to make the land suitable to support the construction of a skate park. Keeping the park site on the Charleston peninsula remains a high priority for many parties involved in the project. Thanks to generous contributions by the City of Charleston and the Speedwell Foundation, funds allowed for the proper repairs of the land in order to keep the skate park site at Oceanic Street.
The Skate Park Team:
The design/build team is focused on creating a cost-efficient, quality, safe and durable skate recreation facility to meet the needs of the community. The team is currently working on plans for skate features, a building for restrooms/concessions, and parking areas.
• Team Pain: Skate park specialist group with over 30 years of experience creating custom skate parks and structures world-wide.
• Hightower Construction: With over 50 years’ experience, this company’s clients have ranged from Boeing to the City of Charleston.
• SGA Architecture, LLC: An award-winning firm of experts on shaping the natural and built environment.
• Since its conception, skate park advocates Pour It Now have been major players in the skate park idea coming to fruition.
For more information on SK8 Charleston, and for ongoing construction updates, visit the link below.
