Some $245,000 left over federal COVID relief funds are being wedded with $135,000 in park fees collected on growth to upgrade Manteca’s skate park built 27 years ago.

The City Council will consider adding the growth fees to the mix when they meet Tuesday at 6 p.m.

Once the additional funding is authorized, work will start in the coming weeks on additional concrete surfaces for skateboarders, in-line skaters, BMX trick riders

Eventually the city will build a second skate park most likely as part of the new community park being pursued northeast of Del Webb.

Development of the initial faces of the new community park won’t take place probably for a decade.

Using the COVID relief funds will allow additional skater amenities to be added and in use before 2027.

The existing skate park is located along the Tidewater Bike Path between the northwest corner of Center and Elm streets as well as the Walnut Place neighborhood park.

The skate park improvements that have been identified include:

*adding more skate elements: a curb grind, an up and down, a side to side, a volcano, and an incline ramp.

*adding an open skate area.

*adding new tubing fencing and additional concrete area.

*painting/staining the existing bowl in colorful geometric patterns.

*putting in a new drinking fountain.

*creating two additional plaza areas with seating.

*new entry shade canopies with picnic tables.

*new entrance area to skate park complete with sign.

*new low-water use landscaping and trees.

*new storage containers.

*converting a barren dirt area to the southwest of the skate park into a turf area with trees.

*installing a Flock camera system for security.

The expansion was seeded more than two years ago with a $245,000 set aside of remaining COVID relief funds by Mayor Gary Singh and then Councilman Jose Nuno.

There was $2.5 million left over of the $11.7 million the city receive in pandemic relief after covering the cost of city incurred COVID related expenses, backfilling revenue lost with the forced shutdown, and addressing a long laundry list of pressing needs such as replacing police vehicles, obtaining pavement equipment to allow larger in-house street repair works as well as needed equipment at the wastewater treatment plant.

Each council member was allowed to identify projects they wanted done or partially funded to wed with other money. The goal was to obtain amenities the city otherwise may not have been able pursue or would have to wait for years to do so.