Cookeville Council Approves Skate Park Bid

Cookeville City Council approved a bid for constructing the new skate park Thursday night.

Councilman Charles Womack said finally accepting a bid for the project has been a long time coming.

“I think we’ve been looking at skate parks, at least the mayor and I… for several years,” Womack said. “It’s slowly come along and we’ve had all sorts of input from the community and from skateboarders. Things are more expensive but it looks like it’s a pretty good project.”

Leisure Services Director Rick Woods said the project will cost approximately $848,000. The city received an $800,000 state grant to help fund the project and the city must provide a 50-percent match on that amount.

“We have an additional $48,000 that we would take from quality of life fund for projects that we have budgeted there,” Woods said.

The low bid for site work was awarded to FTM Contracting for $698,000. The city plans to use in-house forces to construct a bathroom facility and retention pond.

Mayor Ricky Shelton said the grant requires the project to be completed by May of 2019.

“Construction, as soon at this is awarded, will start immediately and weather permitting we will get going,” Shelton said. “We should be having a grand opening by June or maybe earlier.”