Lead found in New Westminster skatepark delays demolition

Demolition of the Mercer Stadium skatepark has been delayed once again – this time thanks to the discovery of trace amounts of lead in the concrete.

The skatepark and surrounding greenspace is the site of the future New Westminster Secondary School and was supposed to have been demolished starting April 3 as part of site preparations.

But bad weather delayed the demo two weeks, according to the New Westminster school district.

Work, including site stripping and shallow excavation, got underway the week of April 16, but the skatepark remained untouched.

Last week, the school district announced preliminary testing of the skatepark revealed trace amounts of lead deep within the concrete. The lead is likely from the spray paint used to graffiti the park over the years.

Demolition of the skatepark is now scheduled to begin this week and continue until May 29. The contractor will be required to follow hazardous waste regulations and government procedures to properly remove the skatepark, according to a press release from the school district.

Other work at the site, including foundation preparation, will continue this week and last several weeks.

Construction of the $106.5 million high school is expected to begin once site preparation is complete. Work is scheduled to be complete in May 2020, with the official opening planned for September 2020.