Terminal Station skate spot

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The Terminal Station skate spot was an unsanctioned makeshift skate park constructed in August 2008 at the site of the former Birmingham Terminal Station by Faith Skate Supply's Peter Karvonen and volunteers from around the region.

Reacting in part to the loss of the public skateboarding facility at Homewood Park, volunteer workers used concrete barriers discarded under the Red Mountain Expressway as the foundation for a series of small skate ramps. They used plywood forms and hand-mixed concrete to extend the barriers.

Because the site is state property, it is presumed to be outside the jurisdiction of the Birmingham Police Department. The ramps were removed by the Alabama Department of Transportation on September 22, 2008.

During the viaduct replacement project in 2019, skaters returned to the Terminal Station site, placing a few quarter-pipes, rails and ramps. Concrete for the project was purchased with funds from the "Red Bull DIY 2019" grant program.

References

  • Natta, André (August 25, 2008) "Skaters get creative in Birmingham." The Terminal
  • Natta, André (September 23, 2008) "Where to next for birmingham area skaters?" The Terminal
  • Koplowitz, Howard (April 5, 2019) "Amid I-59/20 work, skateboarders build unsanctioned park under Birmingham bridge." The Birmingham News