Construction on Perkins Hill Park pump track and bike skills trail delayed until 2021

minneapolis park and recreation

Perkins Hill Park Pump Track

Construction on Perkins Hill Park pump track and bike skills trail delayed until 2021


DETAIL - Perkins Hill pump track - draft concept plan

Above: Detail view of the concept plan for a pump track (left) and mountain-bike skills course (right) at Perkins Hill Park. Click the image to view the entire concept plan. 


Construction on a new pump track and bike skills trail planned at Perkins Hill Park has been delayed until 2021 due to insufficient construction bids.

 

The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) of Commissioners approved the project concept plan for the pump track and skills course on May 20. In June, MPRB staff requested bids from qualified contractors to build the project. Unfortunately, only one qualifying bid was submitted and it was over the project budget. Ideally, the MPRB prefers to see multiple bids for a project to ensure that all qualified contractors are provided an opportunity and budgeting is competitive.

 

This year has been incredibly busy for the construction industry and the MPRB believes re-biding the project when more contractors are available will greatly improve the results. The project will go back out for bid later this year with construction anticipated in 2021.

 

The MPRB is disappointed to delay bringing this exciting new amenity to Perkins Hill Park and appreciates the public's patience while it works to rebuild its neighborhood park system in an equitable, transparent and efficient manner.


About the Perkins Hill Pump Track and Bike Skills Trail

The plan includes a pump track for skates, bicycles, scooters and gliders and a natural-surface mountain-bike skills trail that will be the first facility of this kind in the Minneapolis park system. 

 

Sometimes referred to as an all-wheel park or bike training course, a pump track features circuits of banked turns, mounds and other features that can be used by people of all ages and abilities with any type of bike, scooter or skateboard. While novices use them to build skills, pump tracks are also a challenging workout for advanced riders, who skip pedaling and maintain momentum with upper- and lower-body pumping motions.


Every neighborhood deserves a great park.

Improvements at Perkins Hill Park include funding from NPP20, a historic agreement between the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) and the City of Minneapolis. NPP20 helps address racial and economic equity across 160 neighborhood parks and provides $11 million annually to maintain, repair and replace facilities.