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Apr. 19—MORGANTOWN — To try to sum up the number and variety of amenities, programming and experiences supported within the confines of Mylan Park would be difficult in this space.
From farmers markets, to regional dog shows, to a pickleball tournaments, to collegiate track and field championships, to national, Olympic-level diving competitions — any given day could bring thousands of visitors from across town or across the country down Mylan Park Lane for any number of reasons.
There's already little question the park stands alone in West Virginia.
What began in 1999 as 30 acres of donated, reclaimed mine land has grown into 400 acres, including 60 acres of athletic fields and 180, 000 square feet of indoor sport, recreation and event space spread across 14 different indoor and outdoor facilities.
The park is also home to a variety of social, training and educational organizations including, among others, the veteran-focused Operation Welcome Home ; SteppingStones, which provides year-round recreation for children and adults with disabilities, and PACE Enterprises, where individuals with disabilities can achieve meaningful employment.
And that's to say nothing of Mylan Park Elementary School.
But if you think Mylan Park is a tough act to follow today, just give it a year or so.
There are currently four significant projects either underway or soon to begin construction that represent more than $30 million in new amenities.
In the park's upper section, just beyond the gravel overflow parking area that helps serve the track complex and Peak Health Aquatic Center, park officials are tentatively looking at a fall construction kickoff for West Virginia's first multi-acre, national level BMX facility.
What's more, it's believed the finished product may be unique worldwide due to its focus on accessibility.
The project has been in the works since late 2021, when Mylan Park announced it was working with USA BMX, Action Sports Design and others to turn a $4.68 million American Rescue Plan Act grant and $1.2 million in local buy-in into a world-class attraction.
Mylan Park's initial aim was to simply land the BMX facility, but a unique opportunity came to the fore when its partners toured the park and saw what was already on offer from entities like SteppingStones and PACE.
At that point, representatives from track-design firm Action Sports Design said the goal shifted from designing the state's first BMX competition park to creating "the world's first all-inclusive wheel park."
Mylan Park Executive Director Ron Justice said the adaptive track concept remains the goal.
"If all goes right, we're hoping to be able to award a bid by the end of July, early August in order to get into fall construction. That's what we would need for it to be able to open in early 2026, " he said.
While the scope will ultimately be determined by the bids received, the plan is for the complex to include a USA BMX-sanctioned hard-surfaced track, Union Cycliste Internationale competition-level hard-surfaced pump track, hard-surfaced progressive bike jump /flow lines and a mountain bike skills trail loop.
Moving to the park's lower section, SteppingStones and Mylan Park are collaborating on what's been described as a fully-inclusive, completely accessible, multi-generational playground.
The partners previously collaborated in 2003 to construct Miracle Field, one the country's first fully accessible baseball /softball diamonds.
The agreement for the playground, which is on pace for a ribbon cutting in June, is structured similarly. SteppingStones raised the funds while Mylan Park provided the land and will handle maintenance and liability coverage.
The playground project, along with some upgrades to Miracle Field, is expected to cost about $2.5 million, including a $1.3 million grant from the state, $300, 000 in matching funds from the Monongalia County Commission and in-kind work from March-Westin, Mountaineer Contractors and others.
Much like the playground, Mylan Park's new KOA Campground will likely see its first visitors in the next month or so.
The roughly 36-acre site will have 140 or so full hookup sites for RVs, six to 10 tent sites and a dozen or so cabin sites. It will also feature a lodge, community space, dump station, propane-filling area, recreational area, dog parks and a cart path to the aquatic center.
"We're going to have a phased opening around mid-May where I think we'll have about 40 sites available, and then be fully open by July and functional with all the sites open by then, " Justice said.
The $11 million campground project received a $3.75 million boost through the state's Abandoned Mine Lands and Reclamation funding program.
Last, but not least, Mylan Park is on pace to host competitive hockey this fall.
The large steel structure taking shape in the heart of the park's lower bowl is a $15 million hockey arena.
"It's coming along really, really well. We're anticipating being fully open by October 1. The facility is a very impressive facility — more so once you get inside and can now start to see the layout, the rink and the walls, " Justice said. "We're working with a lot of the stakeholders right now in looking at the operational components of it, but we're on track to open by October."
Justice said the facility will have 800 permanent bleacher seats and maximum seating capacity in the 1, 100 to 1, 300 range.
Continue reading...
From farmers markets, to regional dog shows, to a pickleball tournaments, to collegiate track and field championships, to national, Olympic-level diving competitions — any given day could bring thousands of visitors from across town or across the country down Mylan Park Lane for any number of reasons.
There's already little question the park stands alone in West Virginia.
What began in 1999 as 30 acres of donated, reclaimed mine land has grown into 400 acres, including 60 acres of athletic fields and 180, 000 square feet of indoor sport, recreation and event space spread across 14 different indoor and outdoor facilities.
The park is also home to a variety of social, training and educational organizations including, among others, the veteran-focused Operation Welcome Home ; SteppingStones, which provides year-round recreation for children and adults with disabilities, and PACE Enterprises, where individuals with disabilities can achieve meaningful employment.
And that's to say nothing of Mylan Park Elementary School.
But if you think Mylan Park is a tough act to follow today, just give it a year or so.
There are currently four significant projects either underway or soon to begin construction that represent more than $30 million in new amenities.
In the park's upper section, just beyond the gravel overflow parking area that helps serve the track complex and Peak Health Aquatic Center, park officials are tentatively looking at a fall construction kickoff for West Virginia's first multi-acre, national level BMX facility.
What's more, it's believed the finished product may be unique worldwide due to its focus on accessibility.
The project has been in the works since late 2021, when Mylan Park announced it was working with USA BMX, Action Sports Design and others to turn a $4.68 million American Rescue Plan Act grant and $1.2 million in local buy-in into a world-class attraction.
Mylan Park's initial aim was to simply land the BMX facility, but a unique opportunity came to the fore when its partners toured the park and saw what was already on offer from entities like SteppingStones and PACE.
At that point, representatives from track-design firm Action Sports Design said the goal shifted from designing the state's first BMX competition park to creating "the world's first all-inclusive wheel park."
Mylan Park Executive Director Ron Justice said the adaptive track concept remains the goal.
"If all goes right, we're hoping to be able to award a bid by the end of July, early August in order to get into fall construction. That's what we would need for it to be able to open in early 2026, " he said.
While the scope will ultimately be determined by the bids received, the plan is for the complex to include a USA BMX-sanctioned hard-surfaced track, Union Cycliste Internationale competition-level hard-surfaced pump track, hard-surfaced progressive bike jump /flow lines and a mountain bike skills trail loop.
Moving to the park's lower section, SteppingStones and Mylan Park are collaborating on what's been described as a fully-inclusive, completely accessible, multi-generational playground.
The partners previously collaborated in 2003 to construct Miracle Field, one the country's first fully accessible baseball /softball diamonds.
The agreement for the playground, which is on pace for a ribbon cutting in June, is structured similarly. SteppingStones raised the funds while Mylan Park provided the land and will handle maintenance and liability coverage.
The playground project, along with some upgrades to Miracle Field, is expected to cost about $2.5 million, including a $1.3 million grant from the state, $300, 000 in matching funds from the Monongalia County Commission and in-kind work from March-Westin, Mountaineer Contractors and others.
Much like the playground, Mylan Park's new KOA Campground will likely see its first visitors in the next month or so.
The roughly 36-acre site will have 140 or so full hookup sites for RVs, six to 10 tent sites and a dozen or so cabin sites. It will also feature a lodge, community space, dump station, propane-filling area, recreational area, dog parks and a cart path to the aquatic center.
"We're going to have a phased opening around mid-May where I think we'll have about 40 sites available, and then be fully open by July and functional with all the sites open by then, " Justice said.
The $11 million campground project received a $3.75 million boost through the state's Abandoned Mine Lands and Reclamation funding program.
Last, but not least, Mylan Park is on pace to host competitive hockey this fall.
The large steel structure taking shape in the heart of the park's lower bowl is a $15 million hockey arena.
"It's coming along really, really well. We're anticipating being fully open by October 1. The facility is a very impressive facility — more so once you get inside and can now start to see the layout, the rink and the walls, " Justice said. "We're working with a lot of the stakeholders right now in looking at the operational components of it, but we're on track to open by October."
Justice said the facility will have 800 permanent bleacher seats and maximum seating capacity in the 1, 100 to 1, 300 range.
Continue reading...
