Grand Opening of Vancouver's First Street-Style Skateboard Plaza

September 23, 2004 (No. 72) - The official opening of Vancouver's first designated skateboard plaza is set for Saturday, September 25th at 11 am with Mayor Larry Campbell, Park Board Commissioner Lyndsay Poaps and representatives of the Vancouver Skate Park Coalition . This cutting edge recreational facility is an example of a new trend across North America to create skateable plazas in an urban setting that take skateboarders out of conflict with pedestrians while creating a safe zone that includes all the urban features that appeal to skaterboarders.

Located on a city right-of-way under the Georgia Viaduct at the intersection of Union and Quebec Streets and Expo Boulevard, the skateboard plaza was created to look much like a downtown office plaza, rather than a recreational skateboard park, in response to a growing demand for this kind of recreational opportunity. Skateable features are dimensionally correct representations of popular skateboard spots in Vancouver's downtown core. The covered 26,000 square foot site features elements enjoyed by urban skaters including 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.

Park Board Chair, Anita Romaniuk, had this to say about the project: "The Park Board has been working for close to ten years with various City departments, including Engineering and Police, to find a suitable site for skateboarders in the downtown as an alternative to the office and pedestrian plazas. Creating this new recreational facility has been a true team effort between the City, Park Board and the skateboarding community." Mayor Larry Campbell added: "We're proud that Vancouver is a skateboard-friendly city. We've made it easier to use skateboards on streets and facilities like this skatepark are proof that the City and the Vancouver Park Board support skateboarders." Kevin Kelly of the Skate Park Coalition concurred: "The skate plaza is totally awesome. It's a great thing for skateboarding in Vancouver and a great thing for skateboarding in Canada."

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

Please Note: Car access to the area will be limited on Saturday, September 25th because of the Play On! street hockey event. Expo Boulevard will be blocked between Abbott and Quebec Streets. Carrall Street will be closed between Pacific and Keefer. Meter parking will be available along Keefer and Columbia Streets and a public parking parkade is located at the corner of Keefer and Columbia Streets.

- 30 -

Contacts: Joyce Courtney, Manager of Communications,
Vancouver Park Board at 604-257-8699 or 604-861-4375
www.vancouverparks.ca

Kevin Kelly, President,
Vancouver Skate Park Coalition at 604-716-6790
www.vspc.ca

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.

• Top