Near Southside, Inc.
The new public space-to-be in the Near Southside will feature a skate park as a main attraction, and will also boast a bike track, central green with concert stage and market plaza, according to a Near Southside, Inc. fundraiser.
Ready to shred? Skaters in Fort Worth are soon being gifted what promises to be a premiere destination, but those behind it need help from the community.
Earlier this year, the City of Fort Worth officially adopted the Fire Station Park master plan, which will in part be community-supported. The new public space-to-be in the Near Southside will feature a skate park as a main attraction, and will also boast a bike track, central green with concert stage and market plaza, according to a Near Southside, Inc. online fundraiser.
Acquisition of the land dates back to 2016, when Near Southside, the Hemphill Corridor Task Force and neighborhood groups advocated for Fort Worth to purchase land at 1616 Hemphill next to the Fire Station Community Center in the Fairmount neighborhood. That led to public workshops, in which hundreds pushed for the skate park and the other amenities.
“At each of these meetings, the skateboarding community arrived in force, expressing their support for the park expansion and passionate belief that it should include a skate park,” Near Southside says. “It was encouraging to see this vision was also supported by so many non-skaters and longtime residents, as they saw that the skate park could coexist with other park elements and strengthen the park’s overall appeal.”
Fort Worth has pledged to match up to $600,000 raised over the coming year. Currently, nearly $1,500 has been raised toward the $100,000 goal.
Learn more about and donate to the project at charity.gofundme.com/o/en/campaign/firestationpark.
