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 Metropolitan Park District of Tacoma will use this grant to develop Central Park, a new park along the Thea Foss Waterway, in the center of Tacoma. The district will extend the Foss Waterway esplanade, and create a playground, picnic area, event spaces, seating, and landscaping. This three-quarter acre park area will serve as a significant local park along a mile-long working waterway and within an area of expanding residential and commercial uses. In addition, Central Park is another link in the 6-mile-long Dome to Defiance Trail that connects downtown Tacoma to Point Defiance Park along the city’s waterfront. It will be one end of the Prairie Line Trail, which runs from Dock Street up through the University of Washington Tacoma campus and beyond to South Tacoma neighborhoods. Park development also will protect shoreline habitat along the Foss Waterway. The park district will contribute more than $1.2 million in voter-approved bonds and donations of cash.