Orange approves $2.5M contract to build skatepark at Grijalva Park

Orange city officials unanimously approved a roughly $2.5 million construction contract to build the city's first public skatepark at Grijalva Park, with officials expecting the facility to open within a year, according to Voice of OC.

The approval closes nearly four years of community advocacy for a dedicated skate venue and joins Orange alongside Costa Mesa and Lake Forest as Orange County cities expanding public skateboard infrastructure.

The total project cost is expected to reach $2.8 million, funded through Park Acquisition funds, Capital Projects funds and County Park Grants — resources that city officials noted cannot be redirected to offset the general fund or the city's budget deficit, Voice of OC reported. The facility will include a multi-level bowl, street plaza, handrails, ledges, manual pads, quarter pipes and banks, as well as lighting, spectator seating and a restroom.

DD Systems Inc. submitted the lowest of 11 bids at $1.95 million for the construction contract. California Skateparks, a subcontractor credited with building more than 500 skateparks worldwide, will assist with construction. Grindline Skateparks handled design and engineering services for the project.

"The skate park, as an idea or premise to be in the city, has been around for some time, with the desires of the community wanting it," Councilmember Jon Dumitru said in a phone interview with Voice of OC. "I'm optimistic that within the next year, we'll have a skate park."

Charlene Cheng, the city's Public Affairs and Information Manager, wrote in an email to Voice of OC that "a new skatepark would provide a space for the community to gather as well as offer an additional amenity for fitness and active recreation."

Dumitru said the park's location would shape who uses it. "This skate park will be very open. It'll be observable from multiple angles. The people using it are going to be more family-oriented just because of where it's located," he said.

City officials cautioned that environmental remediation may be needed because the site was previously used as a dump, which could introduce further delays. Limited city staffing and a lengthy contracting process have already stretched a timeline that began with a November 2022 city council directive. Officials said they are also considering adding a BMX track near the skatepark following its completion.

"I think it's going to be a good project and a real added amenity to the city," Dumitru said. Environmental conditions and city staffing constraints could still affect the timeline, officials acknowledged, though the approval marks the most concrete step forward since the project was first directed more than three years ago.