Join us Thursday, Dec. 15 at 2:00 p.m.
On Thursday, December 15, Mayor Murray will award major projects at the Amy Yee Tennis Center and Kubota Garden. The funding is from the Seattle Park District’s Major Projects Challenge Fund, an initiative which leverages Park District funding with community-raised matching funds. The Fund awards are based on a recommendation from the Park District Oversight Committee and confirmed by Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR) Superintendent Jesús Aguirre.
Amy Yee Tennis Center Check Award Ceremony: At 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 15 the Mayor will present a check for $1,273,000 to the Amy Yee Tennis Center Advisory Council. The tennis center project will build an enclosure over the six existing outdoor courts that will be heated, lighted, secure, and programmable for tennis year-round. Currently these outdoor courts are only used during the summer months. The project will expand the capacity of the tennis center and enable it to offer more programs to more people. The tennis center is located at 2000 Martin Luther King, Jr. Way.
Kubota Garden Check Award Ceremony: At 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, December 15, the Mayor will present a check for $925,000 to the Kubota Garden Foundation. There are two phases to the Kubota Garden project. The first phase is the construction of the wall to the north of the Entry Gate and the completion of an accessible path. The second phase is the wall on the south side of the current parking lot. The project includes a retaining wall to create additional parking. Kubota Garden is located at 9817 55th Ave. S.
Background on the Major Projects Challenge Fund: The six-year financial plan for the Seattle Park District includes the Major Projects Challenge Fund, which provides $1.6 million annually to finance the redevelopment of SPR facilities. The intent of the Fund is to leverage community-generated funding to supplement the Park District funds. To maximize the impact of the funding, SPR combined two-years of funding for the initial round of awards. Applications for the funding from community organizations were scored based on criteria developed in consultation with the Park District Oversight Committee. The Committee reviewed the applications and recommended a slate of awards. Two projects were considered “shovel ready”: Amy Yee Tennis Center and Kubota Garden. Many other projects received smaller amounts for planning, ranging from $30,000 to $93,000.
Additional Project Awards: In addition to the construction funds awarded to the Amy Yee Tennis Center and Kubota Garden, planning grants were awarded to the following organizations.
| Major Projects Challenge Fund
2016 Planning Grant Awards |
|
| Project | Award |
| Daybreak Star Capital Needs Assessment and Facility Improvements | $30,000 |
| South Park Community Center – Playground and Playfields Renewal | $50,000 |
| Madrona Bathhouse Theater Improvement | $40,000 |
| Magnuson Park Community Center Improvements | $50,000 |
| Green Lake Small Craft Center Redevelopment | $93,000 |
| Magnuson Park Playfield Development Project | $50,000 |
For additional information, please contact Karen O’Connor at karen. o’connor@seattle.gov or visit http://www.seattle.gov/seattle-park-district/projects/building-for-the-future