BUFFALO, NY - On Buffalo's east side, a sports complex is being built that will not only breathe new life into the neighborhood, but also give kids the opportunity to play sports they've likely never played before.
The Perkins Park Sports Complex on East Ferry Street is coming soon.
By early September, kids on the east side will have the opportunity to play sports they may have never heard of or been exposed to like hockey, lacrosse, tennis and field hockey. And that's not the only sports that will be played here -- soccer, volleyball and football.
REPORTER: Who's vision was it to build this sports complex?
"The NHL approached us through the Sabres about putting a hockey rink to the inner city," Rev. Terry King of Saving Grace Ministries said. The nonprofit has worked with a bunch of organizations in building the sports complex -- the Resource Council of WNY, which offers youth programming next door, the Bills and Sabres, and the John R. Oishei Foundation. Perkins Park will have a ball hockey rink, which is almost done. Next to that, a 50-yard youth football field. The scoreboard is already in place.
All of this will join basketball courts and a recreation center that are already here.
"It's the first of its kind not only in the east side but in Buffalo," King said.
We spoke to Jerrica DeLaney, the program director of the Resource Council, which will be in charge of programming.
REPORTER: This place has everything.
"It has a lot to offer and I'm really excited about it. I look around to see how quickly it happened," DeLaney said.
Youth teams will use the sports complex, which will be open to the public.
"For the most part there will be much open time for kids to just come in and play a game of football or utilize the rinks," DeLaney said.
So what do some kids think?
Malachi Jones told us he's never heard of lacrosse, but would like to try it. Clifton Serano told us he wants to try hockey.
"I haven't gotten any no, no I'm good nothing like that yet. So, I've still got a lot of curiosity around it from the children," DeLaney said.
Just imagine, years from now, kids will have memories playing here and who knows what opportunities they may have for having set foot on these fields.
At some point this summer, the Resource Council of WNY will go door-to-door in the neighborhood asking kids and parents if they want to sign up, and for which sports. The Resource Council says registration fees will be as low as possible, and may even be free.
Saving Grace Ministries says the total cost of the project was $500,000.