Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR) is investing in the maintenance of Westcrest Park and the Off-Leash Area (OLA). Over the past few years, the maintenance project has grown from a simple drainage improvement project to a $505,000 project that will address drainage, access and erosion.

To address the impacts to the community during construction, SPR is proposing establishing a temporary OLA north of the P-Patch at the park. SPR will present the construction project and temporary off-leash plan on Wednesday, October 23 at 7 p.m. at the Highland Park Action Coalition (HPAC) meeting. The meeting will be held at the Highland Park Improvement Club, 1116 SW Holden St. Seattle, WA 98106.

Due to the scope of the project and the nature of the work, the north parking lot and the entire OLA will be closed for the duration of construction. After initial outreach and discussions with the project team, SPR is working to accommodate a temporary off-leash area during the 6-month construction window and will also keep the shy/small dog use area open for everyone’s use.

Please join us at the upcoming HPAC meeting to learn more about the proposal. SPR anticipates construction will begin in the spring of 2020 and will run through the fall of 2020.

For more information please visit https://www.seattle.gov/parks/about-us/current-projects/westcrest-park-drainage-improvements. For additional questions please contact Emily Griffith at emily.griffith@seattle.gov or 206-615-0075.

Thank you to HPAC for their partnership. To learn more about HPAC visit https://hpacinfo.wordpress.com/.

Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR) invites the community to participate in the final design process for the Madrona Park beach play area renovation project. Please join us on Wednesday, October 30, 2019 from 7 to 8 p.m. at Spectrum Dance Studio, 800 Lake Washington Blvd., to review the preferred design.

This project provides a unique opportunity to restore the lakeside beach play features and to improve access to the park. Thank you to everyone who participated in the online survey and joined us at the meeting in August; your input was incorporated into the preferred design. Madrona Park is located at 853 Lake Washington Blvd.

For more information about the project please visit http://www.seattle.gov/parks/about-us/current-projects/madrona-park-beach-play-area-renovation.

For additional questions or if you need an interpreter or accommodations please contact Libby Hudson at libby.hudson@seattle.gov or 206-256-5988.

Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR) is seeking a professional services team to design a new Green Lake Community Center and Pool. The existing community center and pool is located on the east shore of Green Lake in Seattle, Washington. The center is one of twenty-six community centers in the city. It is one of several public amenities located within Green Lake Park and is open to the public year-round for program related and drop-in recreational use. To select the design team, SPR is issuing a Request for Qualifications on October 14, 2019. The full RFQ information package and associated documents can be viewed and downloaded at the City’s Consultant Connection site: http://consultants.seattle.gov/category/bids-proposals/. The Deadline for submittals is 5:00 p.m. PST on SeattleNovember 8, 2019.

The first phase of the project will be to undertake an assessment of the existing site and to also consider other potential site locations around Green Lake. To address site options, several questions need to be addressed, including: Where is the best location to construct a new community center; i.e., should it be constructed in its current location or is there another site or sites where a community center could better serve the community? What are the strengths and weaknesses of each location, including constructability, access to the community center and relationship to other amenities around the lake? Should the community center and pool continue to be located in one building or should the community center and pool be located in separate buildings in separate locations? And finally, what are the strengths and weaknesses of one vs. two buildings?

The first deliverable will be an options analysis based on the site assessments(s). This analysis will include several interactions with the public and ultimately a recommendation to SPR Senior Management and the public as to the best location for the new community center and whether or not the community center and pool should be co-located as they are today. From there, the full community center and pool design and public outreach process will begin.

For more information please visit http://www.seattle.gov/parks/about-us/do-business-with-us/current-opportunities. For additional questions please contact David Graves, Strategic Advisor, at 206-684-7048 or David.Graves@seattle.gov.

Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR) invites the community to participate in the design for the new play area at Hiawatha Playfield. Please join the design team at the Hiawatha Community Center Halloween Carnival on Friday, October 25, 2019 from 6 to 8 p.m. to learn about the proposal to demolish and rebuild the play area at Hiawatha Playfield. Additionally, the community is asked to participate in a quick survey (https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/HiawathaPlayArea ) to help inform the design. Community involvement is essential in developing this new play area and we hope to hear from you.

The goal of this project is to transfer the location of the play area from the north end of the park to the grass area just south of the wading pool. The project includes new play equipment and restoration of the old play area site. The new location will improve visibility and access for all. Hiawatha Playfield and Community Center are located at 2800 California Ave. SW.

Following the October meeting, the design team will incorporate community input in site and play equipment options that will be presented at a second meeting in early 2020.

Funding for this park is provided by the Seattle Park District. The Seattle Park District provides more than $47 million a year in long-term funding to tackle the $267 million major maintenance backlog for Seattle Parks and Recreation as well as other facilities including the Aquarium and Zoo. The Seattle Park District helps improve and rehabilitate community centers, preserves the urban forest, performs day-to-day maintenance of parks and facilities, provides more recreation opportunities for people from underserved communities, supports programs for people of all ages and abilities, and acquires and develops new park land.

For more information, please visit https://www.seattle.gov/parks/about-us/current-projects/hiawatha-play-area-relocation.

For questions about the project or if you need an interpreter or accommodations, please contact Ed Pottharst at Ed.pottharst@seattle.gov or 206-386-4232.

Thank you to the Hiawatha Community Center and the Associated Recreation Council (ARC) for their partnership with the community engagement for this project.

Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR) and Freeway Park Association invite the community to an Open House and Panel Discussion on Monday, October 28 from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Please join us at Town Hall Seattle in the Forum Room, 1119 8^th Ave., Seattle 98101. This is an opportunity for the community to learn more about the history of Freeway Park and the proposed project improvements, and to share your ideas for repairing, restoring and enhancing Freeway Park. The audience will be invited to ask questions of the panel and provide feedback on the initial design ideas.

“Freeway Park is an internationally recognized masterwork of landscape architecture and one of Seattle Parks and Recreation’s treasured parks,” said Jesús Aguirre, Seattle Parks and Recreation Superintendent. “This park is the first of its kind in the world and demonstrates how innovation can bring together urban infrastructure and green open space to serve community.”

Designed by Lawrence Halprin and constructed in 1976, Freeway Park was the first to ever be built over an interstate highway. The park is a respite from the city’s urban environment and is a result of community activism, forward-thinking, and Seattle’s civic process.

The first half-hour of the event will be an Open House followed by a moderated panel discussion starting at 7 p.m. with Randy Gregg, Portland Parks Foundation Executive Director; Alison Hirsch, USC School of Architecture Director of Landscape Architecture and Urbanism; Kenneth Helphand, University of Oregon Professor Emeritus in Landscape Architecture; Charles A. Birnbaum, President + CEO of The Cultural Landscape Foundation, and other panelists.

SPR has $10 million in funding from the Washington State Convention Center Expansion Project as part of the public benefit package associated with the Convention Center expansion. The funding will repair, restore and enhance Freeway Park. The majority of the funding ($9,250,000) is dedicated to capital improvements at the park and the remainder ($750,000) is focused on activation within Freeway Park.

The initial scope of the capital improvements is based on the Finding Freeway Park concept plan, produced by the Freeway Park Association, and identifies infrastructure upgrades, lighting, wayfinding and possibly a new restroom. The design phase is expected to be complete with all necessary permits/approvals and construction bid documents by June 2021.

Thank you to everyone who participated in the project kick-off event on September 2019.  To view the presentation from that event and to learn more about the project please visit http://www.seattle.gov/parks/about-us/current-projects/freeway-park-improvements.

For additional questions or to request special meeting accommodations please contact David Graves, Seattle Parks and Recreation, at 206-684-7048 or David.Graves@seattle.gov  or visit http://www.seattle.gov/parks/about-us/current-projects/freeway-park-improvements.

Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR) invites the community to participate in the design for the Maple Wood Playfield and Play Area renovation project. Please join SPR staff at the first Open House on Saturday, October 19, 2019 from 10 a.m. to noon at the park, 4801 Corson Ave. S. Community input is essential for this project. We are hosting a mini pumpkin patch and all are encouraged to attend and paint their dream playscape on a pumpkin. There will be light refreshments and other fun activities.

This first Open House will be an opportunity to learn about the project and provide input on considerations for the overall design. Additionally, the community is invited to provide input through this short survey https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MapleWoodSurvey.

Maple Wood Playfield is located at 4801 Corson Ave. S. on the corner of Corson Ave. S and S Angeline St, just north of Maple Elementary School. The project will improve both the field and the play area. SPR will be hosting a second meeting in December to present design options and a final, third meeting in February 2020 to present the preferred design.

This park project is made possible by the voter-approved Seattle Park District, which provides more than $47 million a year in long-term funding for SPR, including maintenance of parklands and facilities, operation of community centers and recreation programs, and development of new neighborhood parks on previously acquired sites.

For more information please visit http://www.seattle.gov/parks/about-us/current-projects/maple-wood-playfield-renovation-projects or contact Libby Hudson at Libby.hudson@seattle.gov or 206-256-5988.  

UPDATE: The Gas Works Park Play Area is now open (weekdays and weekends) as of Oct. 21.

The Gas Works Park play area will close on weekdays for approximately three weeks beginning on Tuesday, October 8. During this time, the contractor, Cascade, will mobilize on site to conduct site remediation work. This work is scheduled to be completed by October 25. The play area is scheduled to be open on weekends during the closure.

As part of Seattle Parks and Recreation’s Gas Works Park Play Area Renovation project, which was completed in 2018, we installed a series of injection wells under the play area to facilitate subsurface groundwater remediation work.

Gas Works Park, located at 2101 N Northlake Way is one of the City of Seattle’s premier city, regional, statewide and even nationally renowned parks. The park was designed by Richard Haag and was listed as a Seattle Historical Landmark in 1999. The park is also listed on the Washington State Historic Register and the National Register of Historic Places.

For more information, please contact David Graves, Seattle Parks and Recreation, at david.graves@seattle.gov.

Seattle Parks and Recreation is making showers and restrooms available free of charge to Seattle Public School youth in need (and their immediate family). When arriving at a swimming pool, just show current Seattle Public School identification. Locker room use is limited to 15 minutes, no fee applies, and a towel is provided without cost. Times are after school hours and on weekend afternoons; effective through June 22, 2020.

See below for locations and hours, or download the full flyer here.

Seattle Parks and Recreation is continuing shower and restroom service to community members of all ages without cost at these community centers, year-round. Use is limited to 15 minutes. Summer hours may change, please call ahead.