COLUMBIA - The Columbia City Council voted to approve a nearly $500,000 grant to renovate Douglass Park at its meeting Tuesday night.
Columbia Parks and Recreation applied for a Missouri American Rescue Plan Act Community Revitalization grant worth $495,000.
Renovations include expanding the existing skate park and improvements to the Douglass Family Aquatic Center and basketball courts, according to a staff memo sent to council.
Parks staff proposed renovations in 2020 but put them on hold because of the council's lack of funds. The grant requires a minimum 50% match, which will be provided by the 2021 Park Sales Tax and donations from the Veterans United Foundation and Mizzou Sports Properties.
Parks and Rec Director Gabe Huffington said their plan includes doubling the square feet of the skate park and adding five to six new features
"The excitement for skaters are new areas where they can perform tricks, and that's where a lot of our focus will be," he said.
The idea for improving the skate park has been a long time coming, according to Huffington.
"I've been having these discussions for the last 10 years," he said. "Local skate shops have talked to us a lot about the need for skate sites around Columbia."
Skaters often run into problems skating in public, and this expansion will give them another place to go. Chris Bailey, owner of Parkside Skate Shop, praised the city for its efforts.
"The city of Columbia has really done a lot for the skate community by trying to give facilities for more people to skate," Bailey said.
The grant requires all construction related to the project be completed by Sept. 30, 2026, but Huffington estimates the projects will be done within the next two years. He said construction of multiple sites may occur at the same time.
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