Numerica Skate Ribbon

The Numerica Skate Ribbon serves as safe and modern environment designed for everyone to enjoy in the heart of the downtown Spokane, Washington.This ribbon is located in the midst of Riverfront Park, which is the largest park in the downtown area. This park and its attractions are often seen as a notable feature of Spokane and is valued immensely by the citizens.

The skating ribbon, which made its debut in fall 2017, is located within the park at the corner of Spokane Falls Boulevard and Post Street. Riverfront Park is the largest park in the downtown area and, as of 2014, has begun to be renovated and improved in hopes of becoming a safer and more popular attraction in the city landscape. The town is home to the Spokane Falls and the Spokane River runs through the downtown area, and many Spokanites wish to keep the focus on these natural features. Aside from the park, Spokane is also known for hosting Hoopfest, Bloomsday, Pig out in the Park, and numerous concerts, firework shows, and other events throughout the year.

History 

As a previous competitor for the premier rail hub on the west in the 1880s, Spokane had been the most developed city on the eastern side of Washington. It housed a network of lines for most of the major railways, such as Great Northern, Northern Pacific, Union Pacific, Chicago Milwaukee, and Oregon Railway. Spokane was later chosen to host Expo ’74 and made it the first of those fairs to emphasize an environmental theme. This marked a new era and burst of excitement for the town, which Spokanites responded to by cleaning the Spokane River, removing the railyards, and demolishing the Great Northern Railroad Depot. Only the Great Northern Clocktower, built in 1902, was left, which is now featured in nearly all depictions of the Spokane city skyline and has become a main landmark in the area. The clocktower and the surrounding area has now been converted into Riverfront Park, dedicated by President Jimmy Carter in 1978. With the following success from the world fair, Spokane implemented its first ice rink, the Ice Palace, and discovered it was a successful addition to the recreationally-focused town.

Design 
As the first ribbon-shaped ice rink to be constructed in the Pacific Northwest, the Numerica Skate Ribbon stretches 700 feet long and is completed by a trio of fire pits, allowing for a warming experience for the skaters after being out on the ice. The ribbon is able to hold 300 skaters at any time, and the path is lined with lighting fixtures to keep the experience bright and safe. The path winds underneath trees and by David Govedare’s Bloomsday statues, where it leads to a round “pond” area where skaters can congregate. Just as with the Ice Palace it replaced, the developers put thought into designing this attraction for year-round use, however, it has a slightly different twist. Rather than housing miniature golf, a Ferris wheel, and a petting zoo, the skate ribbon transforms into a place for roller-skating, scootering, or amusement rides. Riley Witt, the lead of Stantec’s office in Spokane and the project manager for the design and construction of the ribbon, explained that the ribbon shape and green space were designed to avoid a large concrete area within the park, and to be seen as a mirroring element of the natural falls. Due to this extra consideration to match the construction to the landscape and overcoming the challenges that come with designing a park that was once a rail yard, the project was also recognized by the Engineering News-Record as the Northwest Best Sports and Entertainment project of 2018.

Developers 
Stantec, an international professional services company in the design and consulting industry centered in Edmonton, Canada, happily agreed to take on this section of the Riverfront Park design. They originally signed on to design the ice ribbon and building, but the Park Board later asked that the firm be in charge of designing the entire corner of the park where the ribbon would be located. By taking on more than just the rink, Stantec was allowed to go a bit over budget, as the Parks and Recreation division addressed it as a negotiation of sorts. Riley Witt, the project manager, gladly accepted the project, as he felt it would be a great opportunity for Stantec’s promise to “design with a community in mind.”

Challenge 
The original planned opening date of the new addition was scheduled for the summer of 2017, but it was later delayed until December 2017 after encountering a number of unforeseen setbacks, such as larger expenses to repair bridges and soil for the rest of the upcoming projects in the area. This added up to a total of an extra $35,000, which would be covered by a $64.3 million taxpayer-approved bond. The original plans also came with a higher price tag than what was originally allotted, as the drawings were planned to cost $400,000 more than the $6.5 billion budgeted for the construction of not only the ribbon itself, but also the skate rental and concession area. Although the construction amounted to more than the budget, Chris Wright, the president of the Spokane Park Board, did not require the construction firm to redesign the ribbon. Contractors Northwest Inc. built the ribbon, with construction costs totaling $7.5 million, according to contract amendments agreed to by Spokane Park Board.

References 

Category:Skateparks in the United States