Udecott: Design upgrades for Skinner Park

THE newly redeveloped Skinner Park, in San Fernando, will be able to accommodate 6,000 people when it is completed.

The Urban Development Corporation of TT (Udecott) made this comment in a statement on Saturday.

In 2018, Udecott was mandated by the Cabinet and the Sport and Youth Affairs Ministry to redevelop the park. The company was to engage specialised design-construct services for the execution of the project.

Further to this mandate, Udeott said it procured the services of design-construct contractor, Yorke Structures Ltd, to do these works.

The demolition of the existing Skinner Park began in November 2019.

The newly redeveloped park, which includes concession stands and retail spaces, will accommodate 6,000 people - 3,000 in the main stand and 1,500 per bleacher.

The park will cater for both cultural and sporting events for the people of San Fernando and the wider national community.

The original scope of works included construction and fit out of one new 3,000 seat, three-storey stand, inclusive of a new mayor’s box, corporate boxes and conference centre and gym; dismantling and re-assembly of 3,000-seat uncovered stands to eastern end of the park; refurbishment of the cycle track; refurbishment of the playing field; installation of LED lighting towers; supply and installation of a digital score board and general refurbishment and upgrade of the facility and surrounding site.

Udecott said it received no mandate to increase or decrease the size of the original playing field at the park.

The company said it was agreed after consultations with stakeholders to make some changes to the scope of work at the park.

This included rebuilding instead of refurbishing the existing cycling track at the park.

Udecott said, "Subsequent to the commencement of the works, it was noted that the existing track was not in accordance with the standard oval shape and was in an unacceptable state of disrepair."

In keeping with the decisions made by the stakeholders, Udecott said a 333 metre track was built and can be used both for training and regular meets."

Another change was a reorientation of the playing field to north-south to prevent the impact of sunlight on the users of the field.

Udecott said, "This adjustment is in keeping with standard practice for football fields. The existing field orientation was east to west."

The company added, "There was no adjustment to the size of the field during the reorientation process and, as such, the playing field continues to satisfy the minimum requirement of FIFA which is 90 metres by 45 metres."