Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR) invites the Rainier community to learn about and provide input on a new park on S Charlestown St. between 34th and 35th Ave. S, just north of Safeway. Join SPR’s staff and designers this Saturday, September 28 from 10 a.m. to noon in front of the Safeway at Rainier Square Plaza, 3820 Rainier Ave. S, or from 1 to 3 p.m. in the courtyard between Columbia Gardens and the Dakota at Rainier Court, 3610 33rd Ave. S. Both locations offer an opportunity for the community to help shape their future park. Neighbors of all ages are encouraged to attend and let us know what amenities and park elements are preferred for the neighborhood. Light refreshments will be served.
Although SPR conducted outreach to the community in 2017, the park has gotten bigger with the 2019 acquisition of the 6,617 square-foot parcel on the southwest corner of the park. The new park is now about an acre, creating a significant new neighborhood park consistent with the community’s expressed interests. The park will provide multi-generational activities and incorporate universal accessibility in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. A Fitness Zone with exercise equipment for teens and adults is made possible by Kaiser Permanente Washington in collaboration with the Trust for Public Land.
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 or for meeting notification translations, please visit http://www.seattle.gov/parks/about-us/current-projects/north-rainier-landbanked-site-park-development.
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.