Parkways Seattle Parks and Recreation

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.  

Seattle Parks and Recreation(SPR) invites the community to participate in the design for the play area renovation at Lakewood Playground. Please join SPR staff on Wednesday, October 16, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Hawthorne Elementary School, Cafeteria, 4100 39^th Ave. S. This first meeting is an opportunity to learn about the project and provide input on the overall design for the play area renovation. Additionally, the community is invited to provide input through this short survey https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LakewoodPlaygroundRenovation.

Lakewood Playground is located at 4800 50^th Ave. S on the corner of S. Angeline St and 50^th Ave. S. The project includes installing new play equipment that meets current safety and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards. The castle motif wall at the park will remain, and the basic layout of the play are will remain the same. SPR will be hosting a final meeting in December to gather input on 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 https://www.seattle.gov/parks/about-us/current-projects/lakewood-playground-park-play-area-renovation or contact Libby Hudson at Libby.hudson@seattle.gov or 206-256-5988.  

Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR) is happy to announce that we have awarded the construction contract to Green Tech Excavation for the Greenwood Park addition project. Green Tech Excavation will mobilize on site on Monday, September 30 and be complete with the project in early 2020.

SPR purchased the 0.1-acre site at 8805 Fremont Ave. N in 2013 to provide more open space for the growing neighborhood and to expand the existing Greenwood Park. The acquisition of the property was identified in the Greenwood Neighborhood Plan and the 2009 Greenwood Park Master Plan.

The new parcel, surrounded by Greenwood Park, reflects input from the community and has a “game” theme with a ping pong table, corn hole, 4-square, hopscotch, and tether ball. The sport court will be striped for pickleball and will remain open during construction. The project also features a wood arbor connection to the pea patch, a hillside slide into the play area, a picnic area with BBQ, and skate elements. The project incorporates accessibility features in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Funding for this park project is provided by the Seattle Park District. Approved by voters in 2014, 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. In addition, it provides funding to improve and rehabilitate community centers, preserve the urban forest, perform day-to-day maintenance of parks and facilities, provide more recreation opportunities for people from underserved communities, provide programs for people of all ages and abilities, and acquire and develop new park land.

For more information or to view the park plan please visit http://www.seattle.gov/parks/about-us/current-projects/greenwood-park-addition.

For questions about the project or if you need an interpreter or accommodations please contact Katie Bang at katie.bang@seattle.gov or 206-684-9268.

Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR) invites the Fremont community to provide input on the B. F. Day Playground play area renovation project. Please participate in a survey (https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BFDayPlaygroundRenovation) to help inform the play area renovation and then join SPR staff on Thursday, October 10, 2019 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at B. F. Day School in the cafeteria, 3921 Linden Ave. N. This meeting is an opportunity to learn about the project and provide input on play equipment.

The play area renovation project will replace the play equipment and improve the adjacent picnic are, including replacing the drinking fountain and making accessibility improvements in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA and national safety standards. 

A second meeting will be held on December 5 to present the design, which will reflect what we heard from the community, and to collect final feedback.

Funding for this park project is provided by the Seattle Park District. Approved by voters in 2014, 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. In addition, it provides funding to improve and rehabilitate community centers, preserve the urban forest, perform day-to-day maintenance of parks and facilities, provide more recreation opportunities for people from underserved communities, provide programs for people of all ages and abilities, and acquire and develop new park land.

For more information or for meeting notification translations please visit http://www.seattle.gov/parks/about-us/current-projects/b-f-day-playground-play-area-renovation.

For questions about the project or if you need an interpreter or accommodations please contact Colin Campbell, colin.campbell@seattle.gov or 206-256-5604.

Seattle Parks and Recreation is happy to announce that the improvements at Golden Gardens Park Dog Off-Leash Area (OLA) are complete. These improvements, funded by the Seattle Park District, include installation of dog agility equipment, clean-up work and removal of extra gravel along the south end fence, repair of the south end fence, pruning of overhanging tree limbs, and removal of overgrown vegetation for improved visibility and access.

Golden Gardens OLA is in the upper-north portion of the park at 8498 Seaview Pl. NW.

The Seattle Park District’s Maintaining Parks and Facilities funding initiative provides funding to improve Dog Off-Leash Areas (OLAs) throughout Seattle. This initiative provides $100,000 annually until 2020 and will improve existing off-leash areas through increased maintenance while providing updates to aging infrastructure. In 2016, we completed a capital plan for all OLAs, People, Dogs and Parks Plan. This plan provides a scope and prioritization of projects.

The Golden Gardens OLA project makes the sixth OLA (Magnuson Park, Genesee Park, Regrade Park, Woodland Park, Northacres and Golden Gardens Park) improved over the past two years.

For more information about the project please visit http://www.seattle.gov/parks/about-us/current-projects/dog-off-leash-areas.

To find other OLAs managed by Seattle Parks and Recreation please visit http://www.seattle.gov/parks/find/dog-off-leash-areas.

For more information please contact Shannon Glass at shannon.glass@seattle.gov or 206-733-9313.

Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR) invites the Rainier community to learn about and provide input on a new park on S Charlestown St. between 34^th and 35^th 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 33^rd 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.

Seattle Parks and Recreation and Volunteer Park Trust invite the community to view the final design for the future Volunteer Park Amphitheater on Sunday, September 22, 2019 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. during the Fall Restoration Day event in Volunteer Park. Please join us at the Open House tent on the west edge of the park at E. Highland Drive. Come meet the design team, view the design and learn about the next steps for the project. Volunteer Park is located at 1245 15^th Ave. E.  

The amphitheater replacement design is based on outreach with the community, and input form the Friends of Seattle Olmsted Parks and the Landmarks Preservation Board. The new amphitheater will be fully accessible, have overhead weather protection for the performers and include public restrooms.

The Seattle Park District Major Projects Challenge Fund provided $900,000 in funding to move the community-initiated Volunteer Park Amphitheater Replacement project forward through the final design phase and construction. Volunteer Park Trust will match the Seattle Park District Major Projects Challenge Fund award. They are currently fundraising and have been awarded grants for the project from King County’s Culture and the Washington State Department of Commerce. To learn more about the project or to donate, visit http://www.seattle.gov/parks/about-us/current-projects/volunteer-park-amphitheater-replacement.

For additional questions please contact David Graves, Strategic Advisor, at 206-684-7048 or David.Graves@seattle.gov.

To learn more about the Fall Restoration Day in Volunteer Park visit  https://volunteerparktrust.org/event/fall-restoration-day-2019/.