Duwamish Waterway Park, Marra-Desimone Park, South Park Community Center and South Park Plaza
Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR) is excited to be working on five projects in the South Park neighborhood over the next two years. SPR is working across City departments to improve parks and open spaces in the community and plays a central role in advancing these priorities and the Duwamish Valley Action Plan.
“We are excited to be moving these projects forward and to bringing increased access to parks, open spaces, and recreational facilities for the South Park community. Each project involved extensive community input as we work across City departments and with partners to address equity, access and health outcomes for all in this vibrant neighborhood,” said Jesús Aguirre, SPR Superintendent.
Below is an update on the projects with contact information for each project for any community questions.
At Duwamish Waterway Park, SPR began construction in October and the renovated park will be open to the public this summer. The community led park project has been carefully designed to maximize open space for recreation and festivals, and to preserve river access for launching hand-carried boats. The renovated park will provide a new play area, an accessible perimeter pathway with a series of interpretive artwork boulders, new park furnishings with accessible picnic tables, barbecues, as well as a drinking fountain and food wash area. Working with Seattle Parks Foundation, the Friends of Duwamish Waterway Park raised over $1 million for the park renovation. For more information please contact Jessica Michalak, Capital Projects Coordinator, Seattle Parks and Recreation, at Jessica.michalak@seattle.gov or 206-470-9147 or visit http://www.seattle.gov/parks/about-us/current-projects/duwamish-waterway-park-activation.
At Marra-Desimone Park, SPR awarded the construction contract to A1 Landscaping & Construction who will be mobilizing on the site by early Feb. SPR developed the park design through extensive community engagement and the new design will provide a start to an accessible, multi-use and attractive park that will improve park/farm safety and visibility through Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) principles. The renovated park, shaped by budget and community priorities, is a phased park development that includes accessible pathways and walking loops, a central open green area, benches, picnic tables, drainage improvements, paved parking lot with ADA parking, new irrigation system with solar powered control system and 80+ trees and grass plantings. Subsequent phases of park development will need to address other community/park needs, including the play area, added park benches, picnic tables, gathering facilities (shelters, meeting space, Harvest Center), farm improvements and other active play facilities. As part of the Marra-Desimone Park improvement project, SPR is collaborating with SDOT on street accessibility improvements on S 7th St. and Director Ave. S and will include these improvements into the upcoming construction project. To stay up to date on the project please visit https://www.seattle.gov/parks/about-us/current-projects/marra-desimone-park or contact Jay Rood at jay.rood@seattle.gov or 206-516-9477.
In conjunction with the Marra-Desimone Park project the Rejuvenate our P-Patches Program, a partnership between, SPR and the Department of Neighborhoods, will be making improvements at the east portion of the site which houses the farm and P-Patch. For more information contact Michelle Whitfield at Michelle.Whitfield@seattle.gov or 206-465-8492.
At South Park Community Center, SPR is in the final stage of design for the site redevelopment project that will include a spraypark, play area, picnic area, lawn, extended parking, dog off-leash area, and a full-size multi-sport court. The project also includes an all-season synthetic lit turf field with a circular walking trail, in partnership with Seattle Academy (SAAS). Construction will begin in late spring of 2021 and be completed in fall 2022. This project will be concurrent with the South Park Community Center Stabilization Project that will address a number of major maintenance, accessibility, and program needs at South Park Community Center. It will include a roof replacement, HVAC system upgrades, renovation of the restrooms, kitchen and lobby spaces in addition to the addition of a gym divider and replacement of the multi-purpose room flooring. For more information please visit https://www.seattle.gov/parks/about-us/current-projects/south-park-community-center-site-redevelopment or contact Toby Ressler at toby.ressler@seattle.gov or 206-615-1482.
The future South Park Plaza project is located along the South Park River Walk, an element of the South Park Green Spaces Vision Plan. SPR purchased the .83-acre site in 2014 to provide the South Park community access to open space within this high density urban area and has worked with the community on the schematic design. We are finalizing the design which includes an open lawn, primary event space, play elements, seating terraces, accessible pathways, bio-swales, irrigation and landscape improvements. SPR anticipates project construction starting in Winter/Spring 2022 with completion in Fall/Winter 2022. This project is also collaborating with SDOT on S. Dallas Street and 14th/Bridge and S. Orr Street accessibility and circulation improvements for pedestrians and vehicles at this important open space connection between South Park’s Business District and the river. For more information please visit https://www.seattle.gov/parks/about-us/current-projects/south-park-plaza-landbanked-site-park-development or contact Jay Rood at jay.rood@seattle.gov or 206-516-9477.