Downtown Vancouver Skatepark under viaducts could be replaced with temporary facility

Vancouver Skate Plaza, the popular downtown skatepark is set to be demolished if plans to tear down the Georgia and Dunsmuir viaducts move ahead in 2018.

While a new permanent replacement will be built at the redesigned Andy Livingstone Park, there are also plans to build a similarly-sized facility for temporary use while the area is being redeveloped.

“The loss of this amenity would leave thousands of users without a safe space to engage in an independent, active, and social sport,” reads a City staff report, adding that a survey found that skatepark users are likely to use Vancouver’s streets as an alternate skating location.

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Given the demand for such a purpose-built facility even on an interim basis, Vancouver Park Board commissioners are set to consider building a temporary skatepark in the downtown Vancouver area.

The Park Board aims to have a temporary facility built before the existing skatepark is closed and demolished. An upcoming public consultation phase will help determine the design and precise location.

The new permanent facility in the area is set to be built between 2021 and 2025.

Park Board commissioners will consider the staff report’s recommendation to build a temporary facility on Monday, and City Councillors will make a final decision on whether to proceed with the viaducts removal project this fall.

An internationally renowned facility

The existing skatepark under the viaducts is an internationally renowned facility that attracted some of the world’s best and up-and-coming skaters over the years.

With an area spanning 21,500 ft², the facility was completed in 2004 as part of the municipal government’s strategy to provide skateboarders with a safe alternative to the streets and sidewalks of the city centre.

Upgrades to the skatepark providing additional skate features were performed in 2011.