Category Overview
Local Parks grants help protect these symbols of vibrant communities, providing places for families to gather and play and promoting a healthy and active lifestyle in an era when people spend increasing amounts of their time inside. The WWRP is the largest source of local parks funding in Washington, helping communities fund the acquisition, development, and renovation of vital recreation areas and green spaces.
Project Highlights
A 2-acre City of Seattle right-of-way and parking lot are poised to become the new entrance to Myrtle Edwards Park and the waterfront connection to the proposed Olympic Sculpture Park (OSP). This city waterfront property–now asphalt and parking meters–will make way for expansion to the existing Myrtle Edwards Park and create an anchor for new passive recreation in downtown Seattle, just 3 blocks from the Seattle Center. Scope of work includes a 700 foot extension of both a 10 ft wide pedestrian boardwalk and a 12 ft wide bicycle trail that currently end abruptly in the parking lot, native plant landscaping, signage, lighting and park furniture, water fountain and vastly improved water access–all ADA accessible. An underground parking garage beneath the pavilion elsewhere on the OSP site and additional metered on-street parking compensate for lost parking lot. A grassy berm for seating and informal gathering at the water’s edge will provide a seamless connector between popular Myrtle Edwards Park (400,000 visitors/year) and the new OSP. In 2000, the Mayor and City Council appropriated $2.0M for improvements to this waterfront parcel. Also, the Seattle Arts Commission is providing a donation in excess of $1.6 million for the construction of this park site.