FRANKFORD – A new attraction is rolling its way into Frankford by late this summer.

The groundbreaking ceremony for the community's first skate park took place at the Frankford Tourist Park on Thursday morning.

Quinte West’s mayor, Jim Harrison, along with members of the Frankford Skate Park Committee took shovels to the ground to commence day one of construction.

Harrison noted that other skate parks in the area, like the one in Trenton, have been well used and that the Frankford location would be a great addition.  

“It’s to keep people active,” said the mayor. “That’s the whole purpose of any of these outdoor projects.”

He added that he thinks the community, especially the youth, will enjoy the new recreational space as a popular summer destination.

Plans to build a skate venue have been in the works since January 2015 said Lynda Reid, co-chair of the Frankford Skate Park committee.

She adds that it took donations from the City of Quinte West and other partners to help raise the necessary $322,000 needed to bring the project to life. Various other fundraising events were also held to help raise the money.

On top of the financial aspect of the project, Reid said the committee members had to consult with design specialists to help ensure the park would have all the right fixings.

Once completed, the streetscape themed skate park will be 10,000 square feet and will include features like half pipes, ramps, rails and more.

Reid noted that the location of the skate park was also an important feature as it was in an open space that was visible from the Frankford road bridge.

“This is just so exciting for the youth of our area,” she said. “It’ll just be wonderful for the area to have a safe place to board.”

Radius Contracting, a British Columbia based agency, was hired to build the skate park. Lead contractor, Brian Savard, said he and his team have constructed skate parks all over Canada, as well as in places like Israel and Copenhagen.

He added that he and his crew would be spending around two weeks excavating the park and then another 8 weeks constructing it – weather dependent.

Once completed, Savard said the skate park would be a positive addition to the community.

“It gives (kids) a lot of opportunity to challenge themselves and improve their skills,” he said. “It doesn’t require a lot of supervision or maintenance and the kids can go and do their thing as it babysits them for hours.”

The park is expected to be open to the public by late July or early August.