Parkways Seattle Parks and Recreation

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/.

Seattle Parks and Recreation is working with Harkness Construction to make accessibility improvements to the Alki Beach bathhouse building, the 63^rd St. comfort station, and surrounding park paths and paved areas including a new ramp near the statue of liberty plaza. This work at Alki Beach Park addresses 30 U.S. Department of Justice Americans with Disabilities Act citations as well as other barriers to accessibility.

Harkness Construction will begin work the week of September 16, 2019 and construction will be complete in January 2020. Portions of the park, bathhouse and paths will be temporarily closed, however, the contractor will work to minimize the impacts to the park. During construction the restrooms will be closed temporarily and portable toilets will be provided for park visitors.

For questions about the project please contact Mike Schwindeller at 206-615-1165 or mike.schwindeller@seattle.gov or visit http://www.seattle.gov/parks/find/parks/alki-beach-park.

Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR) and Freeway Park Association invite the community to Brews and Tunes in Freeway Park on Tuesday, September 10, 2019 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Please join us at Freeway Park’s Seneca Plaza, 600 Seneca St. to learn about the future capital improvement projects and park activation. The event includes a beer garden and music by Stucky Jackson and the Boys. 

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.

For additional questions please contact David Graves, Strategic Advisor, at 206-684-7048 or David.Graves@seattle.gov  or visit http://www.seattle.gov/parks/about-us/current-projects/freeway-park-improvements.

Join us for community ribbon cutting on September 4

Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR) is excited to celebrate the opening of the Urban Triangle Park with the community. Please join us on Wednesday, September 4 from 4 to 6 p.m. at 2100 Westlake Ave. The event includes music by Whitney Mongé, an official ribbon cutting ceremony and small bites from neighborhood restaurants.

“This new park offers valuable public open space for the increasingly dense, fast growing South Lake Union neighborhood,” said Jesús Aguirre, Seattle Parks and Recreation Superintendent. “We are excited to be opening the second of 14 park sites that will be completed around the city in Seattle’s growing neighborhoods over the next couple years.”

In 2008, SPR purchased the 8,722 square foot site at Westlake and Lenora to provide open space for this urban neighborhood, and in 2014 funding was allocated for the design of the park in order to coordinate with the adjacent development. The design team from SiteWorkshops, the community, adjacent properties and SPR worked together on the park design to incorporate the property seamlessly into the neighborhood. This is the first SPR property to have a coffee shop integrated into the design with direct access to the park. The design includes an open lawn, new central play structure (not yet installed), seating edge, lighting, ADA access, places for vendors, landscaping, and other park elements.

SPR awarded the construction contract to MidMountain Contractors, Inc. in early 2019 and the park project was substantially complete by September 2019. A final component of the park is the play structure which is undergoing final review. It will be built off site and installed as soon as possible.

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.

Janet Zweig created the public artwork Escape Destinations for the park. The artwork, which was commissioned with funding from SPR’s 1% for Art funds, consists of two signs that employ a bus-blind device to scroll through lighted names of fictional destinations found in literature, games, film, television and comics from the eighth century BC to 2019. The yellow sign displays places from works made for children; the blue sign displays places from works made for adults. Changing every day, the piece regularly gives the park a new name. Some may be instantly recognizable, while others may inspire viewers to search and discover something new.

The event music by Whitney Mongé is sponsored by GID, Windsor Communities, and Stratus.  Thank you to Amazon and event food sponsors Princi, Shake Shack, and Bounty Kitchen.

For more information, please http://www.seattle.gov/parks/about-us/current-projects/westlake-and-lenora-park-development. If you have questions about the event, please contact Karen O’Connor at karen.o’connor@seattle.gov or 206-233-7929.

Construction begins in early September

Seattle Parks and Recreation and partners are excited to announce a new play area will be built in Occidental Square,117 S. Washington St. The play area will provide climbing equipment, safety surfacing, and an attractive steel and timber bench that surrounds the play area. 

Starting in late August, Venture General Contractors will be marking the layout on the ground and prepping the area at the north end of Occidental Square for the new play area. Construction will follow and the play area will open by the end of October 2019. Park programming and operations will continue during construction, with temporary fencing around the site to keep it secure and to keep park visitors safe.

Under the management of the Downtown Seattle Association, Occidental Square has been transformed into the lively heart of the Pioneer Square neighborhood, with colorful café seating, new planters, artwork, ping-pong tables, musical performances and a gathering space for all. The park’s newfound popularity and high attendance at regular free events has inspired donors to invest in this play area project, as well as in a new wood and steel kiosk and glass pavilion at the south end of the square. Both projects are fully privately funded.

Downtown Seattle Association, Seattle Parks Foundation, Alliance for Pioneer Square and Seattle Parks and Recreation are the partners in these improvements.

For more information or to see renderings of the play area and pavilion please visit http://www.seattle.gov/parks/about-us/current-projects/occidental-square-park-projects or for more information please contact Garrett Farrell at garrett.farrell@seattle.gov.

October 18 deadline for submitting names

Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR) invites the public to submit potential names for two new parks in the Wedgwood and Genesee-Schmitz neighborhoods. The deadline for submitting names to the Parks Naming Committee is Friday, October 18, 2019.

Wedgwood

To support the Wedgwood neighborhood with more open space, SPR purchased the .33-acre future park site at 8605 35^th Ave. NE in 2014. SPR and the design consultant, Studio 41 have worked closely with the community over the last year on the design. The design is a multi-use space that includes an open central lawn with curved seat walls, natural log and boulder nodes organized throughout the park and a concrete pedestal for a potential future art installation. The Wedgwood neighborhood has a strong sense of community with a history rooted in farming, gardening, bird watching, art and the natural landscape. Mature, heritage trees and natural rock outcroppings have long been signature elements attracting people to the nature of the area. The neighborhood was developed by Edith and Albert Balch in the 1940’s. Its namesake was given by Edith to commemorate her favorite brand of China. The project will be constructed in summer 2020 we anticipate completion by the end of 2020. To learn more about the project please visit http://www.seattle.gov/parks/about-us/current-projects/wedgwood-landbanked-site-park-development.

48^th & Charlestown

SPR purchased .33 acres at 4801 SW Charlestown St. in 2014 for the future development of a park. The corner property had been a small community garden and prior to that a neighborhood grocery store. It has a history as a community gathering space. Osborn Consulting and SPR worked with the community on the design for the new park, which will provide a “neighborhood green” for the people of all ages to meet, eat, play, and celebrate. The design includes an oval lawn surrounded by a loop path with arching seat walls, imaginative and active play for young children, picnic areas, and a small stage. Native and drought-tolerant plants will express the natural history of this area, and trees will frame the park and provide shade. The new park will be completed in 2021. More information on the project can be found. At http://www.seattle.gov/parks/about-us/current-projects/48th-and-charlestown-landbanked-site-park-development.

About the Parks Naming Committee and how to submit suggestions

The Parks Naming Committee is comprised of one representative designated by the Board of Park Commissioners; one by the Chair of the City Council Civic Development, Public Assets and Native Communities Committee; and one by the Parks Superintendent. Criteria the committee considers in naming parks include: geographical location, historical or cultural significance, and natural or geological features. The Park Naming Policy, clarifying the criteria applied when naming a park, can be found at http://www.seattle.gov/parks/Publications/namingPolicy.htm.

The Parks Naming Committee will consider all suggestions and make a recommendation to Seattle Parks and Recreation Superintendent Jesús Aguirre, who will make the final decision.

Please submit suggestions for park names in writing by Friday, October 18, 2019 and include an explanation of how your suggestion matches the naming criteria. Send to Seattle Parks and Recreation, Parks Naming Committee, 100 Dexter Ave. N, Seattle, WA 98109, or by e-mail to paula.hoff@seattle.gov.

Following Open House, stay for the outdoor movie BABE, A Little Pig Goes a Long Way

Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR) invites the community to an Open House on Friday, August 16, 2019 from 6 to 8 p.m. for the Magnuson Community Center Improvements project. Following the Open House, the community is invited to stay and enjoy the movie BABE, A Little Pig Goes a Long Way which starts at dusk. Please join us the Magnuson Park Amphitheater located behind the Brig at 6344 NE 74th St. to learn about and comment on improvements to the Magnuson Community Center. Residents and neighbors of Magnuson Park are especially encouraged to attend.

This project will build out the south wing of the community center to allow greater programming capacity. It will also make accessibility improvements to the parking, entry and lobby of the community center.

SPR staff and the design team from Buffalo Design will be present to talk about the designs and answer questions.

The project is funded by Real Estate Excise Taxes, a King County Youth and Amateur Sports Grant and Washington State Department of Commerce.

For more information, please visit http://www.seattle.gov/parks/about-us/current-projects/magnuson-community-center-improvements. If you have questions about the project, or if you need an interpreter or accommodations please contact Oliver Bazinet at oliver.bazinet@seattle.gov or 206-386-1959.

The Magnuson Park Outdoor Movie series is a partnership with Scarecrow Video. To find the movie schedule visit http://blog.scarecrow.com/movies-in-the-park/.

Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR) invites the community to participate in a survey for the Madrona Park beach play area renovation project. Please visit https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MadronaBeachPlayArea to provide input. Your input will be incorporated into design features and presented at an Open House on Wednesday, August 28, 2019 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the park, 853 Lake Washington Blvd. The community is encouraged to take the survey and join us at the park for the Open House.

The project provides a unique opportunity to restore the lakeside beach play features and to improve access to the park. We are planning two community meetings for the project. The first meeting on August 28 is an opportunity to learn about the project and provide input on the natural beach play themes. The second meeting on October 20 is an opportunity to review the preferred design for the project and learn the timeline for construction.

For more information about the project please visit http://www.seattle.gov/parks/about-us/current-projects/madrona-park-beach-play-area-renovation

For additional questions or if you need an interpreter or accommodations please contact Libby Hudson at libby.hudson@seattle.gov or 206-256-5988.

Seattle Parks and Recreation invites the community to an Open House on Wednesday, August 14, 2019 from 5 to 7 p.m. to learn about the Mayfair Park Retaining Wall and Stairway Replacement project. Please join us at Mayfair Park, 2600 2^nd Ave. N, on the northeast side of Queen Anne. The project planner and project manager will present project information and answer questions on the upcoming improvements.

This project will replace the aging timber features (stairways, retaining walls, and light fixtures) which have reached the end of their usable life. The play area is not in the scope of this project. We anticipate construction starting the spring of 2020.

For more information about the project please visit http://www.seattle.gov/parks/find/parks/mayfair-park.

For additional questions or if you need an interpreter or accommodations please contact Libby Hudson at libby.hudson@seattle.gov or 206-256-5988.

Wading Pool closes after August 2

Construction for the new play area at E.C. Hughes Playground begins in August and is anticipated to be complete and open for play in early 2020. Because of the proximity of the construction site to the wading pool, Friday, August 2, 2019 will be the last day the wading pool will be open for the 2019 season. The closest wading pool/spraypark is the Highland Park spraypark at 1100 SW Cloverdale St. The restrooms will remain open for the majority of the construction, however, they will need to close for a short period when the pavement leading up to them is demolished and replaced.

The play area renovation project will update aging equipment with play structures accessible to children of all abilities, ages 2-5 and 5-12. The intent is to enhance the safety and play area accessibility in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The new play area is anticipated to open early 2020.

Funding for this park project is provided by the Seattle Park District. Approved by Seattle voters in 2014, the Seattle Park District provides more than $47 million a year in long-term funding to Seattle Parks and Recreation for 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 on the project please visit: http://www.seattle.gov/parks/about-us/current-projects/e-c-hughes-playground-renovation. For questions about the project or if you need an interpreter or accommodations please contact Katie Bang  at katie.bang@seattle.gov or 206-684-9286.

For additional wading pool/spraypark locations and information please visit https://www.seattle.gov/parks/find/sprayparks-and-wading-pools.