A ground-breaking ceremony for the 99-acre Taylor Farm Park in Henrico County’s Sandston district took place Feb. 27 at 200 Whiteside Road, off East Williamsburg Road.

Site work was expected to start in late February for the county’s first large community park to be built in the Varina District since Dorey Park opened in 1982.

Under a master plan developed with the community, the park will be designed to blend with the property’s wooded areas and natural landscaping.

Amenities will include a skate park, pump track, trail system, water play area, lawn for special events and a memorial to public safety workers and military service members.

“This will be a one-of-a-kind park — like nothing we’ve seen in our park system,” Division of Recreation & Parks Director John Zannino told the Board of Supervisors at its Feb. 14 meeting.

Following the presentation, the board awarded a $20.1 million contract to Loughridge & Company LLC for the first phase of development.

“Clearly, it’s going to be a pretty cool park,” said Board of Supervisors Vice Chairman Tyrone E. Nelson, who represents the Varina District. “I can’t wait to get it started.”

Several of the park’s planned features, including a neighborhood playground, an interpretative farm and some trails, will be added in a second phase after initial bids exceeded available funding by $4 million. Mr. Nelson asked staff to continue to monitor costs so the park can be completed as envisioned.

In its initial phase, Taylor Farm Park will include an active sports area, with a 17,000-square-foot skate park and a 12,000-square-foot pump track that may make it the largest public “all-wheel” recreational facility in the United States, said Mr. Zannino, who was promoted to director of Recreation & Parks in January.

The active sports area will accommodate all skill levels on bicycles, skateboards, roller skates, roller blades and scooters.

Also planned is a nature-based play area, with rope net climbers, slides, treehouses, towers and other features that will be integrated into the natural landscape.

“We’re really embodying the natural aesthetics of the park, so you’ll see ... that the nature is the theme,” Mr. Zannino said, also noting plans for native plantings in key areas. “This will be kind of in nature, surrounded by all the trees. The play equipment ... will be coming in and out of the tree canopy.”