Berkeley's new skate park is due to open at the end of next month, transforming the under-used Holborn Park into a youth-friendly hub.
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On Friday, young "champions" from the Warrawong, Berkeley and Port Kembla areas who have been selected to encourage their friends and peers to use the park, got a glimpse of the construction site.
Among them was seven-year-old Cailyn Willis, who is excited to start practising his skating skills when the park opens in February.
"I'm just starting to learn, so I'm excited about practising," he said.
"This is going to be a free, safe, fun activity to take kids to," Alicia Willis, Cailyn's mum, said.
"We need more of this type of activity in this area, especially in the holidays, and it will give Cailyn something to do in the football off-season."
For Summer Harris, 20, the completion of the skate plaza will be the end of a long mission to have a skate facility built in Berkeley.
"This is really going to help the community out - keep the kids out of trouble and give them something to do with their time," she said.
"Serious skaters will be able to sharpen their skills, pick up a sponsorship and hopefully there will be some competitions."
The $850,000 skate plaza and basketball court is part of a $1.1 million Wollongong City Council overhaul for Holborn Park, which includes new seating, shelters and fitness equipment.
The plaza is being built by Melbourne-based company Convic.
kmcilwain@fairfaxmedia.com.au