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Seattle Parks and Recreation news and events

Construction to begin at Duwamish Waterway Park

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Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR) will begin construction of the Duwamish Waterway Park Improvements at 7900 10th Ave. S in South Park in October 2020. SPR purchased the 1.3-acre site from King County after a community-led process to make the property a permanent neighborhood riverfront park. Working with the Seattle Parks Foundation, the Friends of Duwamish Waterway Park raised over $1 million for park improvements and catalyzed the renovation effort.

The community vision provides significant improvements to the park to make it a healthy and welcoming space for families, young people, and seniors. The final design provides more welcoming park entries and includes:

  • an improved perimeter pathway with a series of interpretive artwork boulders that enhance the river view with messages relating to the community and area history; 
  • an all-ages accessible playground including a climbing structure and zip line as well as boulders, logs, and benches; and
  • new park furnishings with accessible picnic tables, barbecues, drinking fountain and foot wash, additional benches, and bike racks. 

The park has been carefully laid out to maximize open space for recreation and festivals and to preserve river access for launching hand-carried boats. Vegetation management will improve sightlines throughout the park and will include new riparian plantings that control erosion and supplement the native shoreline plantings installed by Seattle Parks and Recreation over the years.

During the purchase of the property, SPR was made aware that the soil beneath the grass next to the river in the northeastern portion of the property contained elevated levels of arsenic contamination. In preparation for construction, SPR submitted a cleanup plan to the Washington Department of Ecology and is finalizing the plan for the property with Ecology. 

SPR will begin soil remediation work prior to construction. The soil in the northeastern portion of the park site will be removed and replaced with clean fill.  After consulting with SPR arborists and in order to preserve the large trees at the park, SPR will use air spading to remove soil around critical root zones of trees. SPR arborists will oversee this work to minimize impact to the trees and to see that clean soil is correctly placed around them. We anticipate removal of approximately 80 cubic yards of soil or more in this initial action. Most of the cleanup work will be completed before the park renovation begins; any remaining cleanup on SPR property will be coordinated during the construction of park improvements. Cleanup on non-Seattle Parks and Recreation property is not included in this project.

We anticipate awarding the construction contract for park improvements in late September 2020, with construction starting in late October 2020 and completed in summer 2021.

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.

Seattle Parks and Recreation now offering virtual programs

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Seattle community centers and pools remain closed to the public – no thanks to COVID-19, which is keeping many of us from participating in the onsite exercise classes and activities we used to enjoy. But good news: your favorite Seattle Parks and Recreation instructors have brought their talents to a screen near you! Check out our newest offerings below and click on the class name to sign up.

Have a cup of Coffee and Chat with our staff and friends from our Lifelong Recreation family. It is our hope that you’ll be able to connect (virtually) with friends you’ve met in your classes and trips with us, and that we can maintain some social connections through this time. We’ll have a question of the day to get the conversational ball rolling… And it’s FREE!

Virtual Chess Lessons for Kids (ages 5 to 13):
Chess Wizards is one of the nation’s premier chess education companies; their mission is to make learning chess fun and exciting for kids. They have adapted some of the most popular activities in the physical classroom to fit the digital environment. These include puzzles, tournaments, blitz games, and even chess variation games. Chess Wizards Online is designed to be an enjoyable and valuable experience for students, and offers classes at a variety of levels.

Exercise Programs for Seniors (Ages 50+):
Seattle Parks and Recreation offers a variety of classes for those 50 and over to keep your body and mind active during our time at home. From yoga and balance to Tai Chi and more, we have classes that can fit any nees. Some classes are even FREE. Check it out!

Cooking around the World! (ages 7-12):
Join us for an exciting world tour of delicious recipes and fun cooking techniques! Each week we will cook a recipe from across the globe while learning about new countries and regions, such as Italian Pizza or Japanese Udon! By the end of this series, students will have the practical skills necessary to begin cooking at home, and the knowledge necessary to eat food in a wholesome, nutritional, and sustainable manner.

Looking for school day childcare?
In partnership with Associated Recreation Council we are offering childcare at 19 sites throughout Seattle. Programs provide full-day care and support virtual learning. Scholarships are available! We still have space; please register online.

Get those little wiggles out thru DANCING! 
We use movement and music to stimulate brain reflexes, teach social/emotional learning skills, and encourage joy and self-expression. Music, props, and brain-integrated dance games help to strengthen bodies, minds, and souls of little ones. Class offerings: Ballet, Dance Party, and Playful Dance.  

Get up and Dance at Home (Adults/16yrs and up):
Dancing not only lifts you out of your “Stay At Home Sads” but can also get you a great workout. Check these offerings: Dance Fitness, Soul Line Dance, and you can even learn the Thriller Dance.

Wondering what to do with your kid after the virtual school day is done? Try:

Tell us what kind of programming you’d like to see

Seattle Parks and Recreation is working to bring the best aspects of our recreation programming in a physically distant, socially connected manner.  Please take a minute to let us know how we can best serve you. 
Virtual Programs at Seattle Parks and Recreation Survey

Register for Classes here

I-5 Colonnade Dog Park partially closes for maintenance

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Seattle Parks and Recreation will partially close the I-5 Colonnade Off-leash Area(OLA), 1701 Lakeview Blvd. E, 98102 as part of a maintenance project that will replace the gravel in the dog park. The maintenance project will begin in the north section of the park and start Tuesday, September 22, 2020. Access to this park will be available from the opposite entrance from the work site.

The nearest two OLA’s are Denny Park 100 Dexter Ave N., 98109 and Plymouth Pillars Park located at the corner of Pine St and Boren St., 98101.  Please visit http://www.seattle.gov/parks/find/dog-off-leash-areas for other off leash area opportunities.

The Seattle Park District’s Maintaining Parks and Facilities funding initiative provides funding to improve OLAs throughout Seattle. This initiative provides $100,000 annually until the end of this year, 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.

Several maintenance improvement projects were completed over the last two years at Magnuson Park, Genesee Park, Regrade Park, Woodland Park and Blue Dog Pond Park OLAs. 

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

For more information please contact Peggy Tosdal at peggy.tosdal@seattle.gov or 206-419-3136.

Seattle Parks and Recreation invites community to review design for Terry Pettus Park renovation and expansion

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Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR) invites the community to review the proposed schematic design for the future Terry Pettus Park and provide final design input. The proposed schematic design incorporates the newly acquired property to the south of the park. Please register for the online Zoom meeting http://bit.ly/pettusparkmeeting2 and join us online Wednesday, September 23 at 4 p.m. Once registered, you will receive a confirmation email with a link to join the meeting. While we cannot meet in person right now, your input is important to us!

At the last meeting, the design team from Jones & Jones Architects and Landscape Architects heard from the community that they preferred the two concept alternatives Terraces and Restoration. The design team combined the features of these two concepts along with other public input, and developed the proposed schematic design. The proposal improves universal access across the site and includes multi-level terraces for sitting and picnicking, restored upland habitat areas, a new dock, and a new beach.

Terry Pettus Park is located in the Eastlake neighborhood at 2001 Fairview Ave E.

For additional questions about project please contact Karen O’Connor at 206-233-7929 or karen.oconnor@seattle.gov or visit http://www.seattle.gov/parks/about-us/current-projects/terry-pettus-park-renovation.

Input needed for SW Brandon & SW Findlay Streets Trail Improvements & Wayfinding

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Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR) and Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) invite the Delridge and High Point communities to participate in creating better pedestrian connections in the Delridge neighborhood. Please take a tour of the site by watching this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_OsfnhbZIY&feature=youtu.be and visit https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/C9HBJCF to provide input.

This design project will provide a plan for improving pedestrian paths along SW Brandon and SW Findlay streets and make trail entries to Camp Long and Longfellow Creek more open and welcoming to the public. One of the goals of this project is to improve access for the future new RapidRide H Line stops that will begin service in 2021 at SW Findlay and Delridge.

For more information about the project please visit

http://www.seattle.gov/parks/about-us/current-projects/sw-brandon-and-sw-findlay-streets-trail-improvements-and-wayfinding.

For more information on the future RapidRide H Line please visit www.seattle.gov/transportation/delridgetransit and https://www.kingcounty.gov/depts/transportation/metro/programs-projects/fares-routes-and-service/rapidride-expansion/h-line

For questions about the project please contact Ed Pottharst, Ed.Pottharst@seattle.gov or 206-386-4232.

Seattle Parks and Recreation needs your input on the Salmon Bay Park Play Area

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While we cannot meet in person right now, your input is important to us! Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR) is beginning the renovation of the Salmon Bay Play Area, a neighborhood park in Ballard at 2001 NW Canoe Pl, Seattle WA 98117. Please participate in this short survey https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ZJPDT7T  and help shape the future play area.

The survey provides an opportunity for community members to provide input on the play area project and tell SPR design team what the community values about this park and play area, and how it might be improved.

The project focuses on installing new play equipment (the newly replaced zipline will be retained), access improvements, and replacing site furnishings. Renovated elements will meet current safety and accessibility standards.

For more information please visit http://www.seattle.gov/parks/about-us/current-projects/salmon-bay-park-play-area-renovation or contact Ed Pottharst at ed.pottharst@seattle.gov or 206-386-4232.

New temporary artwork installed in four Seattle parks

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A handful of Seattle parks now have a new attraction to interest and inspire visitors (as soon as the wildfire smoke clears up). Temporary public art installations have been placed in Dr. Blanch Lavizzo Park, Judkins Park, Pratt Park and Salmon Bay Park thanks to a joint effort between Seattle Parks and Recreation and the Seattle Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs.  

The series is titled “Emerging Together” and features works by artists selected through the Arts in Parks program. In addition to the five art installations listed below, two more will be installed in the coming month. The art pieces below, which were each installed at different times in August, will be in place for about 45 days.

For more information please contact Seattle Parks at 206-233-5168 or send an email to artsinparks@seattle.gov. You may also visit the Arts in Parks website.

“The Judges” by Craig Jacobrown is a metal welded sculpture depicting birds. At Judkins Park, on the rest room rafter on west side adjacent to St Charles Street.
“Vibrant Palette art installation” by Diane Knoll is at Pratt Park, on the west side by Kawabe House community garden. Some of these painted fabric lanterns glow at night with solar battery powered LED lights.
“Lesbianism is Good” by Khadija Tarver is a multi-piece work at Dr. Blanche Lavizzo Park, with its four locations immediately adjacent to pathways that provide access for all. The stones are engraved with names of lesbian bars appealing to lesbians of color.
“Emerging Together Installation Project” by Abigail Maxey, in place at five locations around Salmon Bay Park, consists of woven fiber shapes and tunnels attached to tree limbs.
“Fairy Living Forest” by Naoko Morisawa
Salmon Bay Park, 5 locations in the northeast quadrant near children’s play area.
Handcrafted, oilstained wood and paper mosaic, water proofed and attached to tree trunks.

Update on the Pier 58 collapse during emergency pier removal

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During emergency active pier removal on Sunday, the northeast corner of Pier 58 collapsed. Understanding that there was continued deterioration of the structure, the team was in the process of removing a concrete section of the pier to delay further pier movement.

Since August 6, the pier has been closed to the public after initial concerns of deterioration and the potential for failure. The pier has been monitored for decades, and in recent weeks, there were digital monitoring systems installed to detect any movement. The monitoring system alerted crews to the structural collapse during today’s events. 

Seven people were working on the pier when the collapse occurred. In addition to safety protocols in place for this work, there were multiple points of egress available in case of an emergency and most workers were able to exit using those, while two workers fell into the water and were quickly removed from the water before the Seattle Fire Department arrived. All workers on the pier were wearing personal flotation devices as specified by safety protocols. The two workers were treated by Seattle Fire medics and transported to Harborview Medical Center in stable condition.

There is no observed damage to Pier 59 (Seattle Aquarium), or Pier 57 (Miner’s Landing). There is also no observed damage to the adjacent seawall. There is additional fencing around the perimeter of the site for safety. 

The City will continue removing Pier 58 as soon as it is safe to do so and will evaluate the best approach, understanding the pier continues to be unstable. An update on how pier removal will continue will be available later this week. 

Public safety actions summary: 

  • On August 6, Seattle Parks and Recreation staff were alerted to a possible shifting of Pier 58, confirmed that the pier had shifted several inches and immediately shut off public access, placing fencing and barricades to protect public safety. 
  • On August 14, Mayor Durkan approved the plan for emergency removal of Pier 58 and urged the public to respect barriers and stay away from Pier 58. 
  • On August 26, the City hired Orion Marine Contractors, Inc. to perform the emergency work and remove all of Pier 58, beginning as soon as possible. The barge for pier removal arrived on site on September 4 to begin salvage work ahead of pier removal.  
  • On September 11, due to accelerated deterioration of the pier, the City shared that they would work through the weekend, with plans to continue construction seven days a week, during daylight hours, until further notice. This work began yesterday.

Pier 58 history: 

Pier 58 is a public park built in 1974, owned by Seattle Parks and Recreation. Pier 58 is an aging piece of infrastructure long slated for a significant overhaul and its replacement was already planned and funded as part of the City’s Waterfront Seattle Program. Having funding already in place for a new Pier 58 allowed the City to move quickly in removing the existing pier.  

Construction of a new Pier 58 park pier is planned for 2022. The new pier will improve public access, create an inviting space for families, provide open views to Elliott Bay and the Olympic Mountains, and include a children’s playground. It will also improve the salmon habitat and migration corridor.

Pier 58 removal in progress; waterside work from barge expected Saturday and Sunday

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The City’s Office of the Waterfront and Civic Projects will begin removal of Pier 58 this weekend. Engineers have observed increasing movement and deterioration of the pier structure and continue to monitor the pier closely. Due to the accelerated deterioration of the pier, the contractor is advancing critical work over the weekend, using appropriate protocols given the current smoke emergency.  

Removal of the pier is largely done waterside from a barge that arrived on September 4. The City will remove as much of the pier deck, piles and structures as necessary to ensure site safety. We will continue construction seven days a week, during daylight hours, until further notice. Pier 58 removal is expected to be completed by early 2021. 

Pedestrian access to all businesses will be maintained throughout pier removal. Pier 58 is located between the Seattle Aquarium and Pier 57 (Miner’s Landing). 

The City has planned for years to remove the existing Pier 58 and replace it with a new public park pier including a playground, public plaza and landscaping. To learn more about construction and pier park design, visit waterfrontseattle.org.

City of Seattle closes parks and park amenities amid air quality concerns

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The City of Seattle has announced the closure of Seattle parks, athletic fields, boat ramps, public golf courses, beaches and specialty gardens as part of the City’s larger response to worsening air quality in the region from wildfire smoke.

The closures are effective immediately and extend through the weekend, with reopening times anticipated on Monday morning (9/14) unless air quality does not improve. (A reminder that many Seattle Parks facilities and amenities were already closed due to the pandemic.)

The closure includes:

  • All parks
  • Boat ramps
  • Public Golf Courses
  • Athletic fields
  • Beaches
  • Playgrounds
  • The Japanese Garden, Arboretum and Kubota Garden

“The simultaneous public health threats caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and wildfire smoke force all of us to make difficult decisions to minimize harm to our most vulnerable communities,” said Mayor Durkan. “We know that indoor gathering – even with the proper precautions – increases a person’s likelihood of catching or spreading the virus. However, the threat of unhealthy air quality has become so great that we are taking additional actions as a City, including closing our parks and standing up an additional emergency shelter for people experiencing homelessness.”

Please watch for updates on the Seattle Parks and Recreation Twitter and Facebook feeds, as well as this blog.