BATH — Stacks of disassembled skateboard ramps sit idle in the former National Guard Armory building, awaiting teenagers who could be rolling their skateboards over them by July.

The city-owned building is the future home of the Bath Youth Meetinghouse and Skatepark, as well as the antique fire engine group Box 19.

Bath Recreation Director Steve Balboni said Tuesday that, if all goes well, he hopes to hold a grand opening as soon as July.

“I can’t believe it’s happening so fast,” said Claire Berkowitz, chairwoman of the skate park’s board of directors.

The “teen center” and skate park are slated to use approximately 12,000 square feet of the building, but it won’t look like the old skate park in the former YMCA, Balboni said.

“Some of the elements may change,” Balboni said. “The space is a little different … We’re trying to incorporate the movie theater, concert hall, skate park and teen center, but things may overlap in different areas. We may think about showing an evening movie in the garage area, say.”

“The teen area is so much bigger, and the hang-out area is going to be huge,” Berkowitz said. And where the old center only had one bathroom, the new one now has a designated bathroom for both boys and girls.

Berkowitz hopes the proximity of the new teen center to Bath Middle School will draw students who maybe never visited before, but might now spend time there between school and athletic practice, “ instead of just hanging out.”

But the cost and hours will be the same, starting after school on weekdays and at noon on Saturdays and Sundays.

In December, the Bath City Council approved relocating the teen center and skate park to the former armory building and spending $308,000 to upgrade the building.

City Manager Bill Giroux said he would present to the City Council proposed leases for each organization that would not charge rent, but would require that they maintain the space, pay for “fit-up” prior to moving in and pay for utilities.

Councilors previously discussed whether to continue providing the skate park the annual $40,000 subsidy from the city, and Giroux said last week that they “pretty much” agreed to end that funding, instead using the money to pay the debt service for the building.

On Tuesday, Berkowitz called the council’s support of the skate park “ really progressive and forward-thinking, because we do have a high-risk population.”

But she said the skate park’s board of directors has much to do before July, including a capital campaign to help pay for build-out of the space.

Balboni said the center welcomes donations of anything that could help make the space more enjoyable for teens, such as furniture, games and televisions.

“We have a lot of work to do between now and July, but I definitely feel like we’re up for the challenge,” Berkowitz said.

With an eye on a July 1 opening date, Balboni said he and others associated with the organization — kids and adults alike — are getting excited as the project moves forward.

“I am thrilled as can be, just to see the progress that’s being made,” he said. “Every day kids stop by there and look in the windows and ask when it’s going to be open. It’s exciting.”

Donations to the skate park capital campaign can be mailed to Bath Parks and Recreation 4 Sheridan Road, Bath, ME 04530.

For more information, call 443-8360.

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