Buckley’s skateboarders have been without a local place to hone their skills, but relief is in sight.

Earlier this week, work began on a new and improved Buckley skate park, which will be built on the site of the now-closed park. Fans won’t have to wait long, as Grindline Skateparks is expected to complete the construction this spring.

Buckley maintained its original skatepark for a decade until it began showing signs of wear, was deemed unsafe and was made off-limits. It was built in 2005 with city money and a grant from the state’s Interagency for Outdoor Recreation. According to a city press release, “The design and materials were limited at that time by the available funding.”

This time around, the city is paying 100 percent of the cost, thanks in part to a pot of money made available when the city sold its natural gas utility in 2014 to Puget Sound Energy. City administration and members of the Buckley City Council had determined a share of the $5 million pot would be used for recreation opportunities benefitting the community.

“We are pleased to be able to provide a new skatepark of this caliber,” Mayor Pat Johnson said, “while meeting the city’s goal of providing a safe, durable park, and enhancing the community it will serve.”

The skate park is one of a small handful of community projects identified for funding in the city’s 2016 operating budget. Also planned are a remodel of the Multipurpose Center and improvements to the city-owner parking lot just north of Main Street.