Parkways Seattle Parks and Recreation

The Seattle public art installation is scheduled for completion this summer in Cal Anderson Park and adjacent plaza

The AMP: AIDS Memorial Pathway, a Seattle-based public arts installation designed to take visitors through an emotional and historic journey related to the AIDS epidemic in Washington state from the early 1980s to today, announced today the scheduled installation of artworks We’re Already Here and Ribbon of Light in Cal Anderson Park from April 26 to May 31. The installations will be at the north edge of Cal Anderson Park. Construction fencing will temporarily surround two areas in the park to allow for the permanent installation of the art.

“It’s exciting that the years of planning and design by the artists are finally nearing completion, with the guidance of the Seattle Office of Arts & Culture,” said Jason Plourde, project manager for The AMP. “The artworks, and the themes of The AMP will bring even more meaning and community connections to this special public park.”

The final sculptures that are part of We’re Already Here by Civilization will be placed in the northeast corner of the park near the Chinese Scholar tree. The pieces will be similar to the protest sign groupings already installed in the adjacent plaza.  The larger area in the northeast edge of the park is where  Ribbon of Light by Horatio Hung-Yan Law will be installed. This work includes a series of three illuminated, laminated glass sculptures that will be placed along a landscaped pathway adjacent to the main trail of the park. The artwork is inspired by the words of poets impacted by the HIV/AIDS pandemic, and represent pieces of the sky that have fallen to the ground. They will create a quiet space for communal mourning and personal contemplation.

“We’re excited for the completion of The AMP and the recognition it brings to the heritage of this public convergence space,” says Don Blakeney and Taha Ebrahimi, co-chairs of the Cal Anderson Park Alliance (CAPA). “As we work with community stakeholders to ensure a vibrant, activated and welcoming Cal Anderson Park for all, this memorial will be a big part of that.”

Cal Anderson Park, 1635 11th Ave., Seattle, WA 98122 , is named for the first openly gay Washington State elected official. A decorated US army veteran, Cal was a passionate advocate for social justice. He led the fight for laws prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation while serving in our State House of Representatives and Senate. He died of AIDS in 1995.

The contractors working on the site for both artworks are Green Tech Excavation Company and Ashford Electric & Construction Co. The AMP is funded by community partners, public funds and private donations including the Seattle Office of Arts & Culture, Seattle Parks & Recreation, and Seattle Public Utilities. The outdoor artworks of The AMP will be incorporated into The City of Seattle’s Civic Art Collection.

More information on each of the artists can be found at theamp.org.

Seattle Office of Arts and Culture has contracted with JMS Masonry to repair the public art piece Waterworks in Cal Anderson Park. Doug Hollis’ Waterworks, is the cone shaped fountain and flume in the center of the park. The contractor for the fountain project will mobilize in the park starting in mid-April and will work to complete the project as soon as possible, however, work may extend into this summer.

Scaffolding will be installed around the water feature to provide access for repairs. The granite stones which make up the surface of the cone fountain will be partially removed to allow for the underlying support structure to be repaired, and then the stone surface replaced. In addition, the pump system will be assessed and made operational. Subsequent vault cleaning and testing of the flow system will commence following completion of the work.

For more information please contact Tiffany Hedrick, Seattle Office of Arts & Culture at 206-615-0175 or Tiffany.hedrick@seattle.gov. 

UPDATE AS OF JUNE 2021: A restoration contract crew through the Green Seattle Partnership will be on site at the end of June, actively removing weeds like ivy and blackberry from the northern edge of the property in advance of the house demolition, planned for end of Summer 2021. We expect them to revisit the site several times up until the date of the demolition.

Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR) is partnering with Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) and the non-profit Mid Sound Fisheries Enhancement Group (MSFEG) to develop a floodplain reconnection project at 2318 NE 125th Street, Seattle, 98125. This project will improve Thornton Creek water quality, in-stream and riparian habitat, and on-site stormwater management, while creating an accessible natural area for the Lake City community, a heavily urbanized and underserved area.

Initial work in the area will include weed removal work set to begin on the site in April 2021. SPR’s Green Seattle Partnership is helping to lead this effort with generous assistance from the King County Noxious Weeds Program through the Healthy Lands Project. Professional crews from Dirt Corps will be active in spring and summer carrying out weed control of potentially problematic plant species, as well as soil stabilization near Thornton Creek and on steep slopes adjacent to 125th St. As construction progresses, crews and volunteers will eventually replant with a diversity of native trees and shrubs in these areas now dominated by just a few species of weeds.

This project will help to enhance and restore both ecosystem health and community health. The location of the property provides a unique opportunity to improve water quality and to reduce future flood losses. The goal of this project is to promote partnerships and enable high impact investments that will enhance water quality and salmonid habitat, help mitigate current and future climate-influenced flood flows, and provide public green space in a racially diverse and underserved urban community.

The parcel is entirely within the FEMA floodplain along 200 ft of Thornton Creek channel, while also adjacent to a designated urban village. Floodplain reconnection and additional flood storage will provide climate resiliency in the future, while reducing the impacts of stormwater runoff into the creek, including water pollution and potential flood damage to residents along this section of the creek.

The entire project still needs funding approval. A fully funded project will include a site plan, conduct community engagement, develop design solutions, and construction of the preferred design option. The designs will consist of nature-based solutions including riparian habitat, stream restoration, green stormwater infrastructure such as rain gardens or swales, and community access.

For more information about the project please visit https://www.seattle.gov/parks/about-us/current-projects/lake-city-floodplain-park-development or contact Cynthia McCoy at Cynthia.mccoy@seattle.gov.

Seattle Parks and Recreation closes parking on Monday, March 29 and Monday, April 5, 2020

Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR) will close the Green Lake Community Center & Pool parking lot to facilitate the placement of mechanical units on the roof of the building as part of the Green Lake Stabilization project. The project replaces two key mechanical systems at the Community Center, “wet side” boilers installed earlier this year and “dry side” equipment to be installed on the roof in the coming weeks. The new “dry side” equipment will provide fresh air and ventilation to the locker rooms, offices and bathrooms at the community center.

SPR is working with W.S. Contractors to coordinate the removal of the old units and installation of the new systems on the roof. A crane is needed for this work and will be positioned in the Green Lake parking lot. To minimize impacts to the community and the shower program at the community center the work has been scheduled on consecutive Mondays. The crane can only travel the roads at certain hours, it will be on site by 6:00 am and may not leave until after 6:00 p.m. The W.S. Contractor will open the lot at the earliest opportunity at the end of the workday each Monday.

Weather permitting, the Green Lake Community Center Stabilization Project will be substantially complete by the end of April 2021.

For more information please contact Garrett Farrell at garrett.farrell@seattle.gov or 206-233-7921.

More information about the development of a new Green Lake Community Center & Pool and updates on the Stabilization project please visit can be found here http://www.seattle.gov/parks/about-us/current-projects/green-lake-community-center-projects.

Proclamation signed and both cities plan events to commemorate!

Mayor Jenny Durkan of Seattle and Mayor Johanna Rolland of Nantes, France signed a joint proclamation committing to a continued partnership between Seattle and Nantes and celebrating 40 years of the Sister-City relationship: “Our cities are places of experimentation and knowledge, incubators of creativity. They can be a source of proposals in many areas. We, the Mayors of Nantes and Seattle, are committed to sharing our experiences, fostering constructive dialogue, working together within the framework of our public policies, by 2030, and developing partnerships between Nantes and Seattle in all areas that can contribute to the well-being of our communities, and respect and protection of the fundamental values ​​of freedom and equality that inspire us.”

The City of Seattle, through Seattle Parks and Recreation and the community, reaffirms its Sister-City relationship with Nantes, France with the launch of the Nantes Park Beautification Project to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Sister-City relationship.

Nantes Park, located at 5062 SW Admiral Way in West Seattle, will get a facelift that includes a paved loop walkway with embedded French art, temporary French art installations and student-submitted art tiles along the seat wall. The project, led by the Seattle-Nantes Sister City Association(SNSCA) in partnership with the Admiral Neighborhood Association and funded by the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods, the City of Nantes, the West Seattle Garden Tour and volunteers, will transform the park into a fun, family-friendly, and accessible communal area reflective of the sister city relationship.

The SNSCA is collaborating with Claude Ponti, beloved and prolific French children’s author and illustrator, on art for the park. Ponti’s experience with the Jardin des Plantes and the Parc de la Beaujoire in Nantes will highlight French-influenced art in the Seattle’s Nantes Park, symbolizing the intersection of the two cultures through the Sister-City relationship. Nantes Park will also represent Ponti’s first art installation to be showcased in the United States.

“We are thrilled to work with Monsieur Ponti. He has created more than a dozen whimsical, interactive works of art in the Jardin des Plantes in Nantes that capture the attention of children and adults alike.  Interacting with his fantastical creatures sparks imagination and creative play,” explains Susan Kegel, President of the Seattle-Nantes Sister City Association.

The park will also feature art-tiles lining the seat wall. The art tiles will showcase art submitted by students in Seattle and Nantes who participate in the Passe Partout high school exchange program between the two cities.

A community review is scheduled for Tuesday, March 30^th at 7 pm. This is an opportunity for SNSCA to gather feedback on designs and for the community to provide input on the final art installations that will be featured in the park. Please visit the SNSCA website for more information on participating in the community review.

“I’m excited to see the fun ideas that are under consideration for the renovation of Nantes Park, which is slated to happen this fall. The proposed renovations can be enjoyed by the entire West Seattle community and are sure to inspire interest in our longstanding partnership with the people of Nantes,” says Seattle Councilmember Lisa Herbold, who represents West Seattle and South Park.

The Nantes Park project is part of a year-long celebration on both sides of the Atlantic recognizing the 40^th anniversary of Seattle’s sister-city relationship with Nantes. This spring, look for the release of a special Seattle-Nantes Sister City beer created in an international colla-beer-ation between Seattle’s Lantern Brewing and Nantes’ Bubar. This celebratory beverage, brewed and bottled in each city from a common recipe, will be a gose-style beer featuring Washington State cranberries and Guérande salt from the Nantes region. To capstone the year-long program, Seattle will welcome the delegation from Nantes in fall 2021 to celebrate the grand re-opening of Nantes Park and discuss ideas for future partnerships.

The Nantes community will be celebrating with a “Seattle Orchard” in the Jardin du Grand Blottereau, a sound installation at le Muséum by La Maison des Etats Unis, film screenings, lectures and much more.

The SNSCA thanks the Admiral Neighborhood Association for their continued support on the Nantes Park beautification process. Drew Sowa, President of the Admiral Neighborhood Association said, “We are pleased to support this project. The enhanced Nantes Park will be a walking and biking destination for the Admiral neighborhood, West Seattle and the many visitors who pass by on their way to Alki.”

SNSCA would also like to thank the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods, Seattle Parks and Recreation, the West Seattle Garden Tour, the City of Nantes and members of the community for their support in launching this exciting endeavor that will bring together institutional and elected officials, economic leaders, cultural actors, and community associations.

More information on the Seattle-Nantes Sister City Association, the Nantes Park project and the events planned to commemorate the 40^th Anniversary can be found at www.seattle-nantes.org.

Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR) invites the community to an online meeting for the Magnuson Park Circulation Plan and Comfort Station Feasibility Study on March 30, 2021 from 6 to 7:15 p.m. Please join us online! To register visit https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJIocOigqz8jHNL0_XaQOl3iviEeaxB9xgm5

This online meeting is an opportunity for the community to learn about the three-part planning process that will:

• Develop a Circulation Plan and identify future improvements for all modes of transportation to, from and through the park;
• Identify the preferred location and layout for a future comfort station (a.k.a. restrooms);
• Recommend updates to the existing wayfinding system within the park and historic district.

Please take this survey to help with identifying the needs for improving and updating these three areas of focus visit https://seattle.surveymonkey.com/r/XMRWFXX.

During the online event, SPR and our consultants, Heffron Transportation and MIG, will present the existing conditions that affect circulation in the park, the proposed location of a comfort station and potential wayfinding improvements. The team will gather community feedback on priorities to help inform future improvements.

Magnuson Park is located in the Sand Point neighborhood at 7400 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115.

To learn more about the project please visit http://www.seattle.gov/parks/about-us/current-projects/magnuson-park-circulation. If you need an interpreter, other meeting accommodations, please contact: Kevin.Bergsrud@seattle.gov 48 hours or more in advance of the event in order to secure supporting services.

Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR) is excited to work with the community on planning for a new community center in the South Lake Union neighborhood. Please visit the Online Open House from March 11 through March 31, 2021 and join us at the Online Meeting on March 16, 2021 at noon. Both events can be found at slucc.infocommunity.org. Please participate to learn more about this project, meet the design team and provide feedback on the design concepts for the new South Lake Union Community Center.

Located at the corner of Mercer Street and Dexter Ave., the center will be a private-public partnership operated by SPR but located on the ground floor of a private development project. The new center will be a welcoming space for all and visible from the street with easy access for pedestrians, cyclists and people traveling by mass transit.

SPR and the design team from NBBJ created the layout with input gathered from the first Online Open House held earlier this year. Your input will further help the design team create a successful center for all.

Key features of the center include a full-size basketball court, fitness area/multi-purpose room, and childcare. The community will be asked to share additional recreation priorities to help the design team design the look and feel of the spaces within the community center.

For more information please visit www.seattle.gov/parks/about-us/current-projects/south-lake-union-community-center or contact David Graves at david.graves@seattle.gov or 206-684-7048.

Spruce St Mini Park Play Area survey closes on March 14, 2021. Seattle Parks and Recreation(SPR) encourages the neighborhood to participate in the short survey https://seattle.surveymonkey.com/r/sprucestpa to provide input on the final design and play area equipment selection. 

SPR would like to thank everyone who participated in the Online Open House on February 27.  To review the Online Open House please visit https://youtu.be/HuibspZsKt8 and then take the survey.  The Online Open House provides the community an opportunity to learn about the project, hear from the design team and provide input on the preferred schematic design and the three play equipment options.

We wanted to thank you in advance for contributing your thoughts on what is most important to you as we move forward with this project. The design team incorporated previous community input into the play area schematic design, and we are excited to share it with you along with the play equipment options.

As part of the play area renovation project, SPR is partnering with the Office of Arts & Culture and will collaborate with the community on public art. Seattle Parks and Recreation, Seattle Office of Arts & Culture, Planning Artists (Damon Brown & Hasaan Kirkland), and a small team of community members are looking to commission an artist or artist team of two, to collaborate with and install a mural project for the Spruce St Mini Park Play Area Renovation. The selected artist/artist team will be asked to develop an artwork that reflects the history and diversity of the Central Area community. Please watch for information about the Call for Artists coming out next month and contact Jason Huff (jason.huff@seattle.gov) for more information about the art project at Spruce St Park.

Spruce Street Mini Park is located at 160 21st Ave, Seattle, WA 98112  in the Central Area  at the corner of 21st Ave. and E Fir St. For more information on the project, to review the Online Open House and find the survey link please visit http://www.seattle.gov/parks/about-us/current-projects/spruce-street-mini-park-play-area-renovation. If you have any questions about the project please contact Janice Liang at Janice.liang@seattle.gov or 206-507-3058.

Seattle Parks and Recreation is happy to announce we awarded the project for the Green Lake Bathhouse Electrical Improvement project to Brink Electric LLC.  This project will increase energy efficiency and will make much needed electrical improvements at the bathhouse building including the aquatics area, theater, and restrooms. Work includes new electrical service from W. Green Lake Drive N. to the bathhouse along the park’s primary path.

Construction will last from March 2021 to September 2021. Construction activities will cause temporary revisions to trail use. Thank you in advance for your patience and cooperation during construction.  We will work with the contractor to minimize trail interruption.

The Green Lake Bathhouse Theatre is located on the northwest side of the lake at 7312 W. Green Lake Dr. N.

More information visit http://www.seattle.gov/parks/find/parks/green-lake-park or contact Seattle Parks and Recreation Project Manager, Katie Bang, at Katie.Bang@seattle.gov or 206-684-9286.

Go visit the new bears on First Hill!

Seattle Parks and Recreation encourages the neighborhood to go discover the two new bronze bear cubs named Johnnie and Irish at the newly renovated First Hill park. The community-initiated park renovations re-opened in late January 2021. First Hill Park is a .25-acre urban park located along University St. and Minor St. immediately north of the Stimson-Green Mansion in a densely populated residential neighborhood. It features a custom bronze sculpture of an Edwardian chair, ottoman, and two bear cubs.

The new design seeks to create a more open and flexible space allowing for performance and passive activities to occur, while retaining an intimate garden feel, an important characteristic of the First Hill Neighborhood. Seating areas are interspersed among lushly planted beds, and a curvilinear seat step meanders through the park and frames the lawn suited for small events and gatherings. In a nod to the previous brick paving, the new park features permeable pavers laid in a herringbone pattern that also act as a sieve that treats and percolates storm water into the ground below. New barbeque and picnic benches are available for neighbors to enjoy in this dense urban environment.

The bronze sculpture by artist Georgia Gerber sits near the entrance along University and recalls the history of the Stimson Green Mansion family’s adoption and care for the young bears until their transfer to the Woodland Park Zoo. The two black bear cubs were orphaned due to logging in the area in 1906, but they were promptly adopted by 8-year-old Dorothy Stimson, who lived in the Stimson-Green Mansion at the time.

In 2016, the First Hill Improvement Association (FHIA) engaged the community to reimagine and update First Hill Park as a vibrant, welcoming, and safe open space for the neighborhood where people of all ages and abilities can relax and play. FHIA hired the landscape architecture firm, Site Workshop, to guide First Hill neighbors through a community visioning and design process. SPR awarded the construction contract to GreenTech in early 2020. The protective fencing around the grass will be removed once the turf establishes.

“We look forward to celebrating with the community, hopefully, sometime this summer when it will be safer to gather,”  said Doug Holtom, Executive Director of the First Hill Improvement Association. “Thank you to everyone who participated in the public process and provided invaluable input to get us where we are today. A special thanks to the Seattle Parks Department, the Department of Neighborhoods, and Swedish Medical Center. We encourage you to visit the park, take some pictures and hashtag #FirstHillPark. We are thrilled at how the renovation turned out for our neighborhood backyard!”

The project was made possible by funding from the Department of Neighborhoods, Swedish Health Services and the 2008 Parks and Green Spaces Levy. The artwork was funded separately through a FHIA led art committee with the generous contributions of the Peach Foundation, the Committee of 33, the Seattle Parks Foundation, Suzanne Hittman, and Harriet Bullitt.