Pop-up skate park hits snag

The Napier City Council is unsure if a "pop-up" home it offered skaters - pending the opening of a skate park on the former Marineland site - can be used at all, after the discovery of possible structural issues.

Napier Skating Club and Sk8Zone supporters had almost completed the temporary skate park in a former Faraday St winery building leased by the council from the Salvation Army. Opening celebrations were planned for tomorrow.

A party may still go ahead, despite the body blow delivered after the council learned of the possible structural issues on Tuesday and said the facilities could not open pending further assessment.

The council had put up $15,000 to requisition the building as a pop-up space for skaters to bridge the gap between the closure of Sk8Zone in July and the opening of the Marine Parade skate park scheduled for December.

Council director community services Antoinette Campbell said on Friday had the council known earlier the results of a Salvation Army-commissioned seismic assessment of buildings around the site it probably would have gone for an outdoor option.

She said if requirements were not met in time for it to operate as an interim facility, the pop-up project would not go ahead.

Announcing the delay on Thursday, council's manager community strategies Natasha Carswell said: "Although the building the Napier Skating Club is housed within is only one of these buildings being investigated, it's possible that the skate building may not be deemed safe enough to occupy. A further assessment is underway now and we should know the final results within 10 days."

Expressing disappointment, she said the situation would "certainly not be the desired outcome for us ... We've been excited about seeing this space through to fruition, and the news is really disheartening for both the team at council and the skate club."

Ms Carswell said resource consents required for the building's change of use are being worked through as quickly as possible, but the safety aspect is now the biggest concern.

"We need to feel certain that we can assure the public, especially younger members of our community and their families, of their safety before we continue to develop this space."

Sk8Zone supporter and Napier council candidate David Hannay said the council had not obtained the consent for the change from storage to a skate park, and the club was told the process could take from 10 to 30 days.

Club members and supporters had been working for the past six weeks to erect ramps built for the pop-up base, spending about $10,000.

"We apologise for this setback, but unfortunately it is out of our hands," he said.

Meanwhile, council's director community services Antoinette Campbell said the Marine Parade redevelopment is in "full swing" with reopening still expected in December. The facility will be managed by the council but the skating club is developing a business proposal, to seek a lease and management of the facilities.