Oval Skate Park Project Quietly Gets Under Way

Without much of a notice, the bulldozers came to the west side of Williamsbridge Oval Park to break ground on the long-awaited skate park. A large patch of soil blankets the area once used for a dog run, with crews ready to spend until winter of next year to complete the project.

But the council member who funded the project is planning a formal celebration. Councilman Andrew Cohen secured $750,000 in capital funding for the project in 2014, holding a news conference on the funding soon after. The price of the project eventually went up to $888,000. It was among the first major projects for Cohen representing Norwood. It’s also a project that residents have asked for since 2004 when clergy leaders teamed with neighborhood kids to get a skate park in the area.

The holdup stemmed largely from picking a contractor to perform the project. Parks had identified a bidder who eventually backed out. LC Construction Consulting, a Queens-based construction firm, finally agreed to construct the mini-arena, complete with steep banks, mounds and quarter pipes.

Miles Burnett, a spokesman for Cohen, told the Norwood News that a formal groundbreaking ceremony is expected on June 5 at 11 a.m.

Cohen has held groundbreaking ceremonies for other park projects in the past, notably a skate park in Van Cortlandt Park last year.