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
The Rainier Beach Skateboard Park project is a development project in the Rainier Beach neighborhood in Southeast Seattle. Rainier Beach is one of the most demographically diverse communities in Seattle and among the most underserved in Park resources. The goal of this application is to fund construction of the project to include demolition, erosion control, grading, installation of: green stormwater infrastructure, a skateboard facility, picnic shelters, circular pathway, seating, tables, and landscaping. The site is located in the Rainier Beach Playfield, alongside the Rainier Beach Community Center, playfields (soccer and baseball), tennis courts, and a play area. There are two adjacent public schools. In 2007, the Seattle Citywide Skatepark Plan was created to locate and build skateparks. While skate parks have been constructed throughout the city, Rainier Beach and SE Seattle have shown slower progress. This project strives to make good on this community commitment. The project is community driven with constituents bringing project ideas to SPR and proactively securing funding for the planning and design stages using Seattle Neighborhood Matching Funds. There has been enthusiastic participation to include: outreach, large public meetings, classroom visits and events at the site. Comments emphasized the multigenerational aspects of skating, roller-skating, and safe community gathering space.