Skaters are encouraged to drop in on a new skate park in a premier northern suburbs sport and recreation precinct.
The Northern Skate Park in Corio has opened for public use, offering about 520 square metres of skating space.
Situated inStead Park, on the corner of St Georges Road and the Princes Highway, the skate park includes 24 obstacles and transitions for skaters, scooters and BMX riders.
The $550,000 project also provides social spaces, bench seating, a water fountain and a landscaped pathway that connects to the City's adjoining youth drop-in centre, the fOrT.
Lighting installation and landscaping works, including the planting of 40 new trees, will complete the range of improvements.
The project delivers on a key aspect of the Stead Park Master Plan, which highlighted the need to develop a new skate facility in the local community.
While visitors are now free to enjoy the space daily, the park will be officially opened when the City's free youth festival, SKAART, returns to the fOrT on Saturday 22 February.
The City'sYouth Development Unit is also hosting a summer school holiday program on Wednesday 22 January.
Skateboards, scooters and protective equipment can be borrowed for free, with attendees also able to enjoy a free sausage sizzle.
The new attraction forms part of a substantial upgrade of Stead Park.
A new $1.342 million softball and baseball pavilion in Stead Park was officially opened last November.
Fully funded by the City, the pavilion features a large social area, two change rooms, umpire's room, kitchen, bar, office space, storage room and an undercover viewing deck.
Deputy Mayor Kylie Grzybek, Windermere ward
This is a fantastic new recreation space in Stead Park, adding to the growing number of upgraded facilities in the fast-growing north. The skate park will attract scores of young residents to the precinct and also see more people introduced to the City's excellent youth programs and services.
Cr Anthony Aitken, Windermere ward
Council is proud to deliver this $550,000 project. The location was chosen to reward local youth in our northern suburbs with a brand-new state-of-the-art skate park and directly link to the very successful Council youth services centre the fOrT, which is a neighbour to this new recreation investment in Stead Park.I encourage families to come and explore the improvements to Stead Park. I hope people in our north use the skate park and also have a look at the great services on offer at the fOrT. If you are driving past on Melbourne Rd and can safely have a look, I am sure all people will enjoy seeing our young people doing their latest 180 kickflip on their skateboards.
