‘Super anxious’: Excitement builds as Lincoln’s new Haymarket skatepark nears completion

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — It’s been years in the making for an 8.5-acre area for skaters and Lincolnites to enjoy, and the excitement is building.

The community park in the Haymarket is already seeing glimpses of the state-of-the-art skatepark set to go in.

“The city, I think, really gets that the skaters are super anxious for this, and it’s a thing that’s been very needed in Lincoln for a long time,” said Phil Burcher, owner of Precision Skateboards.

There is no exact opening day yet, but city officials will be doing a final walk-through on Wednesday.

And while construction crews are finishing the work, a few eager skaters haven’t let that stop them from testing it out early.

“To see it in real life, to be there and walk on it is pretty awesome,” Burcher said. “These guys have been cool enough to let me come in there and look around. Some of the kids have been sneaking in and skating a little bit; there’s been scooters and stuff over there, causing a little problem, but it hasn’t been a big deal.”

Burcher is a prominent member of Lincoln’s skateboarding community.

He said some non-skaters have left behind marks.

But it hasn’t slowed down the project, and it proves that the skating community is strong.

“As the group evolved, and the community evolved, we realized there’s a need for more than this,” he said. “This is a major component of a skateboard network that we hope to create over the course of time.”