Seattle Parks and Recreation invites the community to participate in 2020 Cal Anderson Park, a project to engage the public on how changing assumptions and language can affect the design of the park space and create a sense of belonging for everyone.  Please join this on-line discussion about the future of Cal Anderson Park on Wednesday, Aug 5 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at https://dlrgroup.zoom.us/j/94844851658 or Thursday August 6 from noon – 1:30 p.m. at https://dlrgroup.zoom.us/j/98621095552. Choose either day to participate.

“The protests of the past couple months have required that we begin a conversation about how Cal Anderson Park can better serve our community and more firmly speak to our values,” said Jesús Aguirre, Superintendent for Seattle Parks and Recreation. “This park has many meanings to our community, both as a gathering space, and a space to honor the legacy of LGBTQ leaders. And yet, this is just the beginning. Parks are spaces for community to gather, to recreate, to represent our values—what is important to our community must be reflected in our parks. Our goal is to engage community around how we can use Seattle’s parks spaces to support better outcomes for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) communities in our city and our region.”

Together with the community and Seattle Parks and Recreation, Rico Quirindongo will lead the consultant team of DLR Group and HBB, Inc. to discuss, inventory, and prioritize ideas for interventions to Cal Anderson Park. The goal of Seattle Parks and Recreation is to identify short term action items and long-term strategies to enhance the sense of belonging in the park. Additional opportunities to support the 2020 Cal Anderson Park conversation will include surveys, interviews and additional public meetings in September and October.

For additional questions about project please contact Andy Sheffer at 2020CalAnderson@seattle.gov or visit http://www.seattle.gov/parks/find/parks/cal-anderson-park.

Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR) invites the community to provide input on three site concepts and programming preferences for a new Green Lake Community Center and Pool. Please join the Online Open House between July 22 and August 20 at glcc.infocommunity.org and register for the live online public meeting  bit.ly/greenlakejulymtg that will be held Wednesday, July 29 at noon.

This is an opportunity for the community to hear from the design team, Miller Hull and the Berger Partnership, and provide input on the facility location and design of building spaces. It is also an important opportunity for the design team and Seattle Parks and Recreation to hear from the community and get input on the site and community programming desires for the new facility. Please participate and learn about the next steps for the future Green Lake Community Center and Pool.

We would like to thank the nearly 6700 people who participated in learning about the Green Lake Community Center and Evans Pool replacement project and the 3200 people who provided input on the future location of the facility. Seventy-five percent (75%) of survey participants selected the current location as their preferred option. When evaluating reasons to select a site, survey respondents identified the following as their top priorities:

• Access to parking and drop-off (61%)
• Pedestrian access/walkability (59%)
• Access to transit (46%)

Given the overwhelming support for the current location and the site’s connections to transit and the greater community, SPR has made the decision to locate the new facility in the area where the existing center sits today.

The community center (built in 1928) and pool (built in 1955) structures are at the end of their usable life and SPR is working with the Green Lake Advisory Council and the greater north Seattle community on the replacement of the facility located at 7301 E. Green Lake Dr. N.

As SPR plans for the new center and pool, we will continue with the facility stabilization work in 2020 to ensure the building is functional and usable for the public until the new center can be constructed. Stabilization work involves replacing the boilers and the air handling system at the facility. For more information please contact Garrett Farrell at garrett.farrell@seattle.gov or 206-233-7921.

More information for both projects can be found here http://www.seattle.gov/parks/about-us/current-projects/green-lake-community-center-projects.

Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR) invites the community to provide input on four concept designs for Terry Pettus Park. Please register for the online Zoom meeting at https://bit.ly/pettusparkmeeting1 and join us online July 29 at 4 p.m. Once registered, you will receive a confirmation email with a link to join the meeting. While we cannot meet in person right now, your input is important to us!

SPR is excited to announce that we acquired additional land to the south of the existing park, allowing for a new expanded park design. Thank you to all who participated in our online survey in the spring. When asked, what features would enhance your enjoyment of the park, the community’s top priorities were habitat enhancement, native plants and trees, shoreline restoration, more seating, better dock and launch area for kayaks and canoes, and better access to the water. We also heard that better visibility into the park was desired.

The online meeting on July 29 is an opportunity for the community to meet the design team from Jones and Jones Architects and Landscape Architects, ask questions about the design and provide input.

For additional questions about project please contact Susanne Rockwell, at 206-684-7133 or susanne.rockwell@seattle.gov or visit http://www.seattle.gov/parks/about-us/current-projects/terry-pettus-park-renovation

Community invited to provide input on capital projects

The Washington State Convention Center, as part of the public benefit package associated with the Convention Center Addition project, is providing $10 million in funding to Seattle Parks and Recreation for Freeway Park improvements. Riisa Conklin and Tim Holt from Freeway Park Association, Christopher Williams and Katie Bang from Seattle Parks and Recreation, and Jeff Blosser from the Washington State Convention Center met on July 14, 2020, to celebrate this investment in the park and receipt of the final payment to achieve $10 million.

The funding will repair, restore and enhance Freeway Park. Of the $10 million, $750,000 is for activation within the park and $9,250,000 is dedicated to capital improvements which include actual construction (approximately $6 million), as well as design and project management, permitting, sales tax and contingencies.

The community is invited to provide input through the Freeway Park online Open House, freewaypark.infocommunity.org, to help shape the future of Freeway Park. Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR) and Freeway Park Association encourage the community to participate.  Your input will help SPR and the design team prioritize the capital improvement projects in the 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.

Designed by Lawrence Halprin and constructed in 1976, Freeway Park (700 Seneca St.) was the first park 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, forethought and Seattle’s civic process. The park is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. SPR and the Freeway Park Association would like to thank everyone who has participated in the renovation project to date. If you missed the Open House panel discussion in October 2019 you can watch it on the Seattle Channel (http://seattlechannel.org/videos?videoid=x108063).

For additional questions about the project please contact Katie Bang, Seattle Parks and Recreation, at 206-684-9286 or katie.bang@seattle.gov or visit http://www.seattle.gov/parks/about-us/current-projects/freeway-park-improvements.

In 2019, Freeway Park Association celebrated 25 years as community stewards of Freeway Park. To learn about all they do and to get involved please visit https://www.freewayparkassociation.org/.

During the current closure of Bobby Morris Playfield, Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR) has contracted with FieldTurf to provide the full-service cleaning and sanitizing of the synthetic turf field. Bobby Morris Playfield is adjacent to Cal Anderson Park, 1635 11 Ave., Seattle, WA 98122. FieldTurf will be at the park the week of July 13, 2020.

In 2016, SPR completed the Bobby Morris synthetic field replacement pilot project. This pilot project used cork as an alternative to the crumb-rubber infill.

SPR would like to thank the community for their cooperation and patience as we work to open Cal Anderson Park and Bobby Morris Playfield. For more information contact Andy Sheffer, Seattle Parks and Recreation Planning and Development Director, at andy.sheffer@seattle.gov. 

Help shape the future of Freeway Park, provide input through the Freeway Park online Open House, freewaypark.infocommunity.org. Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR) and Freeway Park Association encourage you to participate. Your input will help SPR and the design team prioritize the capital improvement projects in the park. Please visit freewaypark.infocommunity.org.

SPR has received $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. Of the $10 million, $750,000 is for activation within the park and $9,250,000 is dedicated to capital improvements which covers construction (approximately $6 million), as well as design and project management, permitting, sales tax and contingencies.

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.

Designed by Lawrence Halprin and constructed in 1976, Freeway Park (700 Seneca St.) was the first park 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 park is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. SPR and the Freeway Park Association would like to thank everyone who has participated in the renovation project to date. If you missed the Open House panel discussion in October 2019 you can watch it on the Seattle Channel (http://seattlechannel.org/videos?videoid=x108063).

For additional questions about the project please contact Katie Bang, Seattle Parks and Recreation, at 206-684-9286 or  katie.bang@seattle.gov or visit http://www.seattle.gov/parks/about-us/current-projects/freeway-park-improvements.

In 2019, Freeway Park Association celebrated 25 years as community stewards of Freeway Park. To learn about all they do and to get involved please visit https://www.freewayparkassociation.org/.