The park is in what 1st District Councilman Robert Garcia called "one of the most dense and poor communities in Long Beach."

The park has aged from heavy use over the years. Skaters and their advocates, including former Councilman Mike Donelon, long ago appealed to the city to improve it.

On Tuesday, the City Council is expected to OK $620,000 in federal grant money from the federal stimulus package to upgrade the park.

The city showed designs to expand and renovate the skate park in September. Construction was to begin in the winter.

Weeks turned into months.

That was because City Hall was unsure if it had enough money to cover building costs for other parks in addition to the 14th Street Skate Park.

"The funding that we were using was money from an open-space parks bond," said Phil Hester, director of Parks, Recreation and Marine. "We had three or four projects along with 14th Street that (were) high priority and wanted to make sure we had money for those to go with 14."

These projects included ones at Seaside Park - off of 14th Street and Chestnut Avenue - and MacArthur Park, 1321 E. Anaheim St.

"Fourteenth was a high priority project, but these other ones were a high priority, also," Hester said.

Part of the delay was caused by anticipated state funding frozen by the budget crisis. As a result, construction couldn't begin until the city found another source of money.

"Everybody felt down," said Franscisco Chavez, describing the reaction he and other skaters had toward the construction delay. "Everybody was waiting for it."

Ruben Otero, a skater who frequents the park, said about half of the youths had given up hope on improvements. Still, supporters of the remodeling plan continued to press for it.

"One of the first things I told the city manager is that I want to make sure that we build that park...because I've seen the power and impact it has had on that community," Garcia said.

The federal stimulus money for the project would come from a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development grant. Long Beach is also expected to receive funding for storm-drain repairs in the flood-prone Arlington Street area.

Garcia credited a community effort involving Donelon, the skaters and residents for winning the federal grant. Garcia's predecessor, Assemblywoman Bonnie Lowenthal, also picked up the cause.

"I'm their biggest cheerleader, and I'm here to support their effort and proud to help," Garcia said.

One of the skaters saw a larger, refurbished skate park as a means of keeping the area's youths out of trouble.

"This little skate park helps us keep out of gangs," Chavez said. "Imagine a big one. We're going to be here every time skating."