Parkways Seattle Parks and Recreation

Parkways

Seattle Parks and Recreation news and events

20-acre expansion to be opened at Westcrest Park

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On Wednesday, July 8, 2015, Seattle Parks and Recreation will open the 20-acre expansion of Westcrest Park at the West Seattle Reservoir, located at 9000 8th Ave. SW in the Highland Park neighborhood of West Seattle. The new park expansion is the fifth reservoir lid-park collaboration between Seattle Parks and Recreation and Seattle Public Utilities (SPU).

The 20-acre expansion of the park captures panoramic views of the mountains and city skyline, while integrating a range of multi-generational amenities. Features include a flexible great lawn, a new play area with two zip-lines and a hillside slides, swaths of native prairie, strolling paths, parking and streetscape improvements, restrooms, and public art. A mix of oak species will provide strategic shading, frame views and contribute to Seattle’s urban forest and habitat for generations to come. Site Workshop collaborated with the community, Seattle Parks and Recreation and SPU on designing the park and Mid-Mountain Construction built the park. [Read more…]

Lower Mapes Creek project honored with Green Globe Award from King County

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20141021_180855On Monday, April 20, King County Executive Dow Constantine presented the Lower Mapes Creek project with a Green Globe Award for being a leader in habitat restoration. The project was a joint effort between Seattle Parks and Recreation and Seattle Public Utilities.

The Lower Mapes Creek restoration project, completed in early 2015, re-established 440 feet of natural stream channel through Beer Sheva Park and reconnected the creek to Lake Washington to provide critical rearing habitat for juvenile chinook salmon in southeast Seattle. The project also enhanced a park in an underserved area of Seattle and was done in tandem with a Seattle Public Utilities project to reduce combined sewer overflows to Lake Washington.

The Mapes Creek restoration project was partially funded by Water Resource Inventory Area (WRIA) 8-directed grants through the King Conservation District, Salmon Recovery Funding Board and the Puget Sound Acquisition and Restoration program. Seattle is a key partner with King County and others in WRIA 8 salmon recovery efforts.

Fourteen Green Globe Awards were given on April 20. The Green Globe Awards are King County’s highest honor for local environmental efforts. More information is available here.