South Corvallis has a bike park, and now folks in the northern reaches of our fair little burgh may get one too. The city’s webpage for the project says they hope to begin construction in the Spring of 2026, with the park opening to the public by the Fall of 2026.
City spokesperson Patrick Rollens says officials have a hot little contract on a prime piece of land for the track, and that buildout dollars are already allocated. But the City’s website qualifies this just a little when it says state and federal funding could impact the project. Our translation: we think it’s highly likely Corvallisites will have new digs for shreds of the two-wheeled variety.
According to Rollens the budget for the project is $2.1 million. He also says, “Currently, Park System Development Charge (SDC) funds are slated to cover 100% of the project costs.”
Soooo, what’s the plan
The land is a five-acre parcel adjacent to the entrance of the Chip Ross parking lot, and across the street from Calvary Chapel. That would be the end of Lester Ave.
Chip Ross would remain the same as it is now, but there is some discussion of parking improvements there – we’re skeptical on that count, but we’ll see.
Other than that, Corvallis Parks & Rec can’t put everything a bike park can be on five-acres, so they’ll be seeking community guidance on what the eventual design should prioritize.
Public open house set for Thursday
Parks & Rec will be hosting a Corvallis Bike Park Project Open House at 7 pm, Thursday, April 24 at the Corvallis Community Center, 2601 NW Tyler Ave.
Some of the possible features being considered are:
Children’s Playground: Small navigational courses that teach kids how to ride bikes and navigate both paved and unpaved trails.
Pump Track: A looped course that consists of berms and small rollers. Riders use the speed gathered on the hills to gain enough speed that pedaling is typically not required. Pump tracks can be paved or unpaved. Parkitect has a demonstration here
Skills Course: Dirt trails that mimic obstacles and challenges typically encountered when mountain bike riding. As the name suggests, a skills course allows riders to progressively build their mountain biking skills before hitting the open trail.
Jump Lines: Shaped dirt ramps of all sizes that allow riders to catch some air.
Slalom Course: Gravity-fed dirt-track course typically used for competitions between two riders.
If you can’t make it, the City says they will be hosting another couple of meetings this spring and summer. They are also offering folks the opportunity to communicate their thoughts via an online questionnaire.
“The Parks and Recreation Department and the local biking community have been working to bring this idea to life for more than a decade. With an expert project team assembled, including community stakeholder representatives, we’re excited to move forward and design a truly spectacular bike park for the Corvallis community. Thank you to all of our community partners who brought us to this point,” said Parks & Recreation Director Meredith Petit.
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