User:Mickithies/sandbox

LOCATION

This skating ribbon, which made its debut in fall 2017, was constructed in the midst of Riverfront Park in Spokane, Washington. Other than the park, Spokane is also known for hosting Hoopfest, Bloomsday, Pig out in the Park, and numerous concerts, fireworks shows, and other events throughout the year. This park is the largest park in the downtown area and, as of 2014, has begun to be renovated and improved in hopes of becoming a safer and more popular attraction in the city landscape. This overhaul has been funded by the taxpayers and includes various new additions, but the Spokane Parks and Recreation Committees are mainly focusing on five major elements. These five include a redesign of public spaces, the Numerica Skate Ribbon and SkyRide Facility, the Looff Carrousel Building, the U.S. Pavilion and Event Shelters, and finishing with a new Regional Playground. The skate ribbon itself is located at the corner of Spokane Falls Boulevard and Post Street.

HISTORY

As a previous competitor for the premier rail hub on the west in the 1880s, Spokane had been the most developed city on the eastern side of Washington. Spokane was later chosen to host Expo ’74 and made it the first of those fairs to emphasize an environmental theme. This marked a new era and burst of excitement for the town, which Spokanites responded to by cleaning the Spokane River, removing the railyards, and demolishing the Great Northern Railroad Depot. Only the Great Northern Clocktower, built in 1902, was left, which is now featured in nearly all depictions of the Spokane city skyline and has become a main landmark in the area. The clocktower and the surround area has now been converted into Riverfront Park, dedicated by President Jimmy Carter in 1978.

DESIGN

The ribbon is 700 feet long, and is competed by a trio of fire pits, allowing for the skaters to warm up after being out on the ice. This ribbon-shaped design has been seen in other areas of the country, but this is the first one to be constructed in the Pacific Northwest. The ribbon is able to hold 300 skaters at any given time, and the path is lined with lighting fixtures to keep the experience bright and safe. The ribbon leads underneath trees and by David Govedare’s Bloomsday statues, where it ends in a round shaped “pond” area where skaters can congregate. This attraction is not made obsolete in the summer, however, as it is able to serve as a location for farmers’ markets, roller-skating, scootering, or amusement rides that were previously kept in another area of the park. Riley Witt, the project manager for the design and construction of the ribbon, explained that the ribbon shape and green space were designed to avoid a large concrete area within the park. The project was also recognized by the Engineering News-Record as the best sports and entertainment project in the Northwest because of the challenges overcome while designing a park that was once a railyard.

DEVELOPERS

Stantec, an international professional services company in the design and consulting industry centered in Edmonton, Canada, happily agreed to take on this section of the Riverfront Park design. They originally signed on to design the ice ribbon and building, but the Park Board later asked that the firm be in charge of designing the entire corner of the park where the ribbon would be located. By taking on more than just the rink, Stantec was allowed to go a bit over budget, as the Parks and Recreation division addressed it as a negotiation of sorts. Riley Witt, the project manager, gladly accepted the project, as he felt it would be a great opportunity for Stantec’s promise to “design with a community in mind.”

CHALLENGES

The original planned opening date of the new addition was scheduled for the summer of 2017, but it was later delayed until December 2017 after encountering a number of unforeseen setbacks, such as larger expenses to repair bridges and soil for the rest of the upcoming projects in the area. This added up to a total of an extra $35,000, which would be covered by a $64.3 million taxpayer-approved bond. The original plans also came with a higher price tag than what was originally allotted, as the drawings were planned to cost $400,000 more than the $6.5 billion budgeted for the construction of not only the ribbon itself, but also the skate rental and concession area. Although the construction amounted to more than the budget, Chris Wright, the president of the Spokane Park Board, did not require the construction firm to redesign the ribbon. Contractors Northwest Inc. built the ribbon, with construction costs totaling $7.5 million, according to contract amendments agreed to by Spokane Park Board.