BECKLEY, WV (LOOTPRESS) – Construction to the playground area of Freedom Skate Park in Beckley appears to be in progress as indicated by the presence of active construction equipment and an array of building materials at the site on Thursday morning.
The park, located on Eisenhower Drive, was previously home to several pieces of playground equipment, including a pirate ship-themed playset along with various slides. swings, and a sandbox. Much of these materials were recently removed due to dilapidation which created risks for patrons utilizing the equipment.
Area residents had long voiced concerns regarding the decades-old park, and City of Beckley Parks & Recreation Director Leslie Baker addressed the conditions all the way back in the Summer of 2021.
“We are aware that it needs to be updated, and it’s just there in the mix with a lot of other things,” she said.
Just under one year later, Beckley City Council awarded a bid for work on the park to Radford & Radford Construction to the tune of $249,999.56. The project will be financed through funds received from the Community Development Block Grant.
The grant is awarded through the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and seeks to improve quality of life in low to moderate income communities through the establishment and development of infrastructure, economic development projects, public facilities installation, community centers, housing rehabilitation, public services, clearance/acquisition, microenterprise assistance, code enforcement, homeowner assistance, and more.
The nature of the work being conducted and whether it pertains to the installation of new equipment, upgrading of older equipment, or another project entirely, has not been made clear at the time of writing.
In the same City Council session which saw the Freedom Skate Park project move forward, bids for other projects were awarded as well. These included the reconstruction of Nebraska, Washington, 9th, and 10th Streets, and a number of projects for maintenance of Scott Ave. Park including the paving of a basketball court, installation of recreation equipment, poured-in rubber surfacing, and fencing.
