Skatepark plans soon

Skateboarders in Whitby should have a clearer indication of what their new skatepark will look like in the next fortnight.

Foodstuffs’ property manager Mark Lash says he received draft designs in November and wants to move the process ‘‘ quite quickly along’’.

The company will build a 3400-square-metre New World next to Adventure Park, requiring the present skatepark to be moved or modified.

The preferred site for the new skatepark is 700 square metres of reserve land further north on Discovery Dr and a new facility could cost $150,000.

Mr Lash says talks with Whitby skateboarders has been positive and they hope to release a final design in the next two weeks.

‘‘ We hope to tender midway through this year [for construction of the New World] and look to start building later this year, to possibly open mid-2014. Foodstuffs will own the balance of the site and it is quite early to be talking about other developments around the supermarket,’’ he said.