New Downtown Skateboard Plaza Opens

September 10, 2004 (No. 68) - Vancouver's first designated street-style skateboard plaza has now opened under the Georgia Viaduct at the intersection of Union and Quebec Streets. Located on a city right-of-way, the covered 26,000 square foot site features elements enjoyed by urban skaters including replica rails, embankments, curbs, walls, ramps, steps and open spaces along with a variety of textures and surfaces such as exposed aggregate, brick, concrete, granite and steel.

The Vancouver Downtown Skateboard Plaza is a joint project of the City of Vancouver and the Vancouver Park Board with design input from the Vancouver Skate Park Coalition. The landscape architecture firm of van der Zalm + associates inc. was contracted to design the plaza. It was constructed by New Line Skateparks at a cost of $250,000.

The official opening of the new skate plaza is slated for Saturday, September 25th at 11 am with representatives of the City, Park Board and the skate community.

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Contact: Joyce Courtney, Manager Communications, 604-861-4375
or Mark Vulliamy, Manager Research and Planning, 604-257-8461

The Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation maintains 200 parks and 40 major facilities throughout the City of Vancouver. The Park Board's mission is to provide, preserve and advocate for parks and recreation services to benefit people, communities and the environment.