City council has approved $200,000 to help build a new community bike park.
Council approved the funding, at Monday night’s committee of the whole meeting, for the Stevie Smith Community Bike Park.
The park will be built in Beban Park as an addition to the existing BMX park and will include a dirt jump and return trail, pump track and skills park.
The park is named after international mountain bike champion Steve Smith, a professional cyclist from the Nanaimo area, who died in a motorcycle accident in May.
“Working with the city and Gyro on this project has given the citizens of Nanaimo, British Columbia, and the world an opportunity to honour one of our own. The Stevie Smith bike park will enable youth of all ages to enjoy our beautiful city through cycling,” said Michelle Corfield, director of the Stevie Smith Legacy Foundation, in a press release.
The total cost for the project is estimated at $412,619.
A number of community partnerships are contributing financially and in-kind to the park including Gyro Club of Nanaimo and the Stevie Smith Legacy Foundation. To date, a total of $233,407 in-kind and cash contributions have been received.
Construction of the bike park has started and is expected to be completed in 2017.
“I am so excited about moving this project forward as part of the Beban Park master plan. I believe it will touch the lives of kids and families in our community in a profoundly positive way for years to come,” said Coun. Wendy Pratt in the press release.
For more information, please visit the city website at www.nanaimo.ca.