Artist Walk will bring skateboard park under Fuller Warren Bridge

David Bauerlein, Jacksonville Florida Times-Union
Updated ·2 min read

While cars and trucks rumble across the Fuller Warren Bridge, the space under the bridge will become a destination for a different kind of wheeling transportation when Artist Walk brings a skateboard park to space off Riverside Avenue on what's an empty piece of dirt now.

Mayor Donna Deegan joined city officials and state Department of Administration leaders this week to announce construction has begun on Artist Walk, which will cost $8.8 million and extend three blocks from Riverside Avenue.

"We're pleased to see work get underway on this unique and exciting new project," city parks director Daryl Joseph said.

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California Skateparks designed the skateboarding area of Artist Walk in a way that makes it a "skateable piece of art," according to the city's announcement. California Skateparks has designed 500 such parks worldwide.

Construction of Artist Walk is slated to take two years to complete. The city and the state transportation department are jointly paying for the project.

The new park will be across Riverside Avenue from where Riverside Arts Market happens each Saturday under another portion of the Fuller Warren Bridge where the Northbank riverwalk ends.

Artist Walk will tie into the recently opened path for walking, running and bicyling over the Fuller Warren Bridge and also link to the Emerald Trail that will connect neighborhoods to downtown for longer treks on foot, bike or even skateboard.

The design of the new park will feature landscaping, sculptures,, seating, and a synthetic turf plaza for local artists will be able to display their work.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Space under Fuller Warren Bridge in Jacksonville to be skateboard park