After receiving six bids, St. Mary Recreation District 3 awarded a construction contract to Aegis Construction Inc. in LaPlace for construction of new recreation facilities at Central Park in Bayou Vista.

The project consists of:

—An 8,000 square-foot skate park featuring multiple ramps, edges, drops and steps.

—A rubber safety-surfaced playground for ages 5-12 which will provide two major play structures and multiple smaller units.

—Two pavilions for parents overlooking both the skate park and the playground.

—A family picnic pavilion providing a large covered area, barbecue pits and new restroom facilities to service the entire Central Park complex.

—Additional parking for 32 cars, new subsurface drainage and area lighting.

—The existing restroom facility will be converted to storage.

—All facilities are accessible to people with disabilities.

The new facilities will complement existing facilities that include a baseball field, two tennis courts and a soft surface playground for children ages 2-5, as well as concrete parking.

The project will cost more than $1 million and will utilize bond funding as well as local, state and federal grants. Carl P. Blum of Morgan City is providing the architectural and engineering services for the project.