The project seeks to create a rider’s playground for people of all skill levels, offering pump tracks, jumps, skills training and a multi-use perimeter trail.
“This bike park facility will be a unique amenity for our residents of all ages and abilities and introduce an exciting new product for our cycling community,” said Jon White, city of Dayton planner. “It will be a great recreational feature for both the neighborhood and the region.”
RELATED: Dayton may get mountain bike park
Last month, the city of Dayton issued a request for proposals to transform Welcome Park into a bike park, which Dayton officials have wanted to bring to the city for years.
Welcome Park, a 13.3-acre park located near Welcome Stadium and UD Arena, currently has a dilapidated picnic area, aging basketball hoops and a children’s playground.
Bonbright Distributors Inc., a beer distributor located at the southwestern edge of the park, wants about 3 acres of the park to support the company’s future expansion. Bonbright proposed the city uses the proceeds of the sale to build the bike park. The removal of the land from the city’s park commons plan still requires city commission approval.
Staff with the International Mountain Biking Association’s Trail Solutions visited Welcome Park in 2015 and designed a conceptual plan for the site. Recently, the city selected Trail Solutions as the contractor for the project.
Trail Solution’s proposal calls for building a 100 by 50 feet natural soil pump track for riders with intermediate and advanced skill sets.
The track will have rollers, small jumps and berm and will run along existing trees along the southern border of the site.
The park also will have a roughly 71,550-square-foot progression jump zone, featuring dirt jumps, berms and a starting hill at a 12-foot elevation with adjacent rock wall seating.
The park also will have a roughly 3,300-foot-long perimeter trail, possibly featuring elements such as rock gardens and ladder bridges.
For young children and families, there will be a 3,900-square-foot, natural surface pump track with rollers and berms suitable for entry-level riding.
The park also will have a beginner’s pump track. But that part of the project will be developed during the International Trails Symposium, which is taking May 7 to 10 in Dayton.
3 DAYTON MUST-READ STORIES:
About the Author