BERKELEY – Rising in the area of its long torn-down predecessor, a new skate park will come to Veterans Park.
Township officials said the cost to build a state-of-the-art skate park that caters to young and old skateboard, BMX riders, aggressive scooters, inline and and roller skaters will be born from dollars saved from previous bond projects that came in under budget. That’s about $266,500.
The skate park will be arranged in sections for beginners to advance skate areas, and was designed with the input of local and competitive skaters, said Councilman Angelo Guadagno.
“We wanted to build a park that not only replaced the old one, but was much better and allowed for multi-extreme sport riders. I believe we have achieved that and more,” Guadagno said.
Council chose American Ramp Company, a skater-owned company has designed and built over 2,000 skate parks worldwide, to design the new skate park. The equipment is made from stainless steel and will have a warranty for 20 years.
The previous one in Veterans Park was torn down after wear and tear. In the interim, rebuilding after Superstorm Sandy became the focus, said Mayor Carmen Amato.
The skate park announcement shows the township is still committed to advancing those pre-Sandy projects during the continued Sandy rebuilding process. “I am pleased that we are moving forward on projects that will enhance Berkeley Township and enrich the lives of our youngest residents,” Amato said.
The skate park was also built with the possibility of hosting events and competitive tournaments, Guadagno said.
“We wanted a park that would attract a lot of people, and this park does just that. The new skate park will allow BMX riders, skateboarders, scooter riders and inline skaters to use it,” Guadagno said.
The mayor said the township officials worked hard to budget the skate park costs out of funds from old bond ordinances, instead of adding new spending.
“We were able to fund the park through unexpended funds in old bond ordinances. The cost for the park is $266,500,” Amato said.
Complementing the skate park will be security cameras and new lighting in Veterans Park.
