Proposed skatepark hits snag in council
Skateboard enthusiasts have to wait for the establishment of a skate park at South Road Properties (SRP) after the donation hits a snag at the Cebu City Council.
The initial design of the 4,000-square-meter skate park shows a rink with street course, flat course for beginners, half pipe, bowl, pump track, and mini-grand stand.
However, the approval of the proposed contract that will be entered into by the Cebu City government and private individual on the establishment of the skate park has been deferred.
During the regular session last Tuesday, City Councilor Eugenio Gabuya, Jr. moved to defer the approval of the proposed Deed of Donation that will be signed by Mayor Tomas Osmeña and the mayor’s sister, Maria Victoria “Minnie” Osmeña, who will donate P5 million for the skate park at the SRP.
Before the deferment, City Councilor Jocelyn Pesquera questioned the location where the skate park will be constructed.
City Councilor Jose Daluz III expressed the same sentiment since the skate park will reportedly be built on the 26-hectare lot which was brought by a consortium of giant developers in the country.
“It should not be limited to one location because if this will be approved, then we are bound that it should be there. We will remove the location if it’s okay with the donor. We can’t be limited if there will be donor who wants to donate the land where the skate park can be constructed. We can still use the P5 million because we are not limited to a specific area,” Daluz said.
Gabuya said the city government still owns the property because the title has not been transferred yet.
It has been the stand of the mayor that the property was “illegally” sold to the giant developers but he has not gotten any response from Commission on Audit as to his request for the disapproval of the lot sale in 2015.
The 26-hectare property at the SRP was bought by the consortium of Ayala Land, Cebu Holdings Inc., and SM Prime Holdings during the time of former mayor Michael Rama.
Councilor Raymond Alvin Garcia said the P5 million donation is a big amount to build a permanent skate park at SRP.
“I agree with the concern of member Pesquera that you will be building it where Cebu City might lose its ownership in a few months, then it will defeat the purpose of having a skate park,” Garcia said.
Gabuya agreed to the suggestion to delete the location where the skate park will be constructed.
However, Councilor Joel Garganera said the city government should ask permission from the donor, Minnie Osmeña, if she is amenable with the changes in the proposed contract.
With this, Gabuya said he will ask the executive department to consult the donor of the P5 million on the suggestion of the members of the City Council.
While the donation for the establishment of a skate park is still pending at the City Council, Gabuya said he has to work on other permits needed.
Once the P5 million will be received by the city government, he said the city will have a bidding for interested companies that will undertake the project.
Gabuya said he was told by Mayor Osmeña to prioritize the skate park which is part of the sports hub that will be constructed on the 26-hectare lot near a mall at SRP.
While there is already a concept and design for the sports hub, he said there is no estimated budget of the sports hub yet since the program of works and estimates is still underway.
The sports hub will include football fields, baseball fields, volleyball court, tennis courts, archery, diving pool, and areas for motocross, biking, skateboarding, walking and jogging in the park, parking spaces, among others.