Tag Archives: grants

$1.9 million in grants, plus new park projects coming to Capitol Hill and District 3

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We do have money for this E John enhancement, though

We do have money for this E John enhancement, though

We don't have money for this right now

We don’t have money for this right now

Last week, CHS shared the most recent vision for the audacious idea to lid I-5 with a park to better connect Capitol Hill with downtown and South Lake Union. There’s zero dollars to pay for it.

But the good news is there are more than zero dollars to pay for plenty of other parks and community projects around Capitol Hill and District 3. Here are some projects ready do dig in or already in progress around the Hill and Central Seattle plus news on new grants to help pay for more.

Summit Slope Park E John Enhancement
E John next off E Olive Way will be “enhanced” starting this winter, Seattle Parks says. The plans to “pedestrianize” E John adjacent Summit Slope Park next to the E Olive Way Starbucks were mostly finalized way back in fall of 2013 but the end product will be a $150,000 compromise version. The effort to transform the street was part of the original plans for the park as ideas coalesced in 2009 but had to be put off in early planning and construction due to costs. The plan will reconfigure sidewalks and trees along the street and eliminate parking on E John as well as close off access to the street from E Olive Way. Starbucks customers, however, will still be allowed to exit the cafe’s parking lot onto John to Summit. UPDATE: Awesome planning and development site The Urbanist has more information about the E John changes:

With the removal of parking lanes, the sidewalk will extend into John Street, with room for a bioswale, new p-patches, and even two new tables for seating.

12th Avenue Square and Broadway Hill Park
12th Avenue Square on 12th at E James Ct and Broadway Hill Park at Federal and Republican were both under construction this fall. 12th Avenue Square, with its woonerf and giant hanging sculpture, is close to wrapping up though the official opening party will probably be held in 2016. Also lined up for a 2016 opening is the long awaited Broadway Hill Park on land purchased for $2 million five years ago.

New grants
Meanwhile, $464,823 in Neighborhood Matching Fund grants were announced in the latest wave of awards for organizations across the city. With the advent of Seattle’s new district system, the Department of Neighborhoods provided this year’s roster of grants organized by district. Your home district did well — D3 raked in more than $160,000 of the funds made available in this round.

District 3

  • $25,000 to Gay City Arts to organize events exploring the experiences of three marginalized groups within LGBT communities: people of color, transgender and genderqueer people, and people over 40. The free events will include classes in visual, literary and performing arts, along with community dialogues and performances. (Community match: $33,404) Continue reading →

Want $1,200 to create an installation in Cal Anderson? Seattle tests new grant program

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IMG_7164Last weekend’s Sparkle in the Park wasn’t paid for with funding from the new Put the Arts in Parks pilot program — but it could have been:

This pilot program supports neighborhood arts councils and community-based groups that are seeking to activate Seattle Parks with new and established festivals or events that promote arts and cultural participation, celebrate our diversity and build community connections through arts and culture while connecting with underserved communities. The funds for this program are contingent on the passing of the Parks District budget.

The new grant program has been designed to help fund events and art installations that take place in a Seattle park in 2016 and, if it’s a success, beyond. The proposals can be art events, or community events with an arts element like music or performances.

The city plans to select 40 projects for the 2016 pilot. The program’s budget is around $340,000. The new program is part of the $47 million Seattle Park District funding plan for the coming year.

Another new grant program called the Major Projects Challenge Fund is also being created to allow community groups to create projects for parks that will draw from a $1.6 million pool. “Merely being expensive doesn’t necessarily make it a major project,” the city notes. “It should significantly expand the life and usability of the subject facility such that it provides more opportunities for people to make use of the facility.”

Put the Arts in Parks projects must be free to attend, “have a significant arts and culture component,” and “provide a platform for under-represented artists and communities” — sorry Shitbarf, you’re over-represented. Same goes for your, Chihuly.

Priority will be given to projects taking place in “preferred parks” — here’s the list for our area:

CENTRAL • Cal Anderson Park • Denny Park • Dr. Blanche Lavizzo Park • First Hill Park • Judkins Park • Flo Ware Park • Pratt Park • Powell Barnett Park

Grants are available at levels from $1,200 to $7,200. Individual artists or community groups may apply but only groups with “demonstrated ability to produce the event” are eligible to receive $2,400 or more.

The deadline to apply for the new citywide program from The Office of Arts and Culture and Seattle Parks is October 30th. You can learn more and apply on seattle.gov.

As community-powered Broadway Hill Park finally digs in, grants awarded to tool library, Central Area Block Party

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Thanks to reader Neal for the picture

Thanks to reader Neal for the picture

Broadway Hill Park schematic

Broadway Hill Park schematic

Construction is finally ready to begin to create Broadway Hill Park on the empty lot at the corner of Federal and Republican some five years after the land was purchased by the city for $2 million.

The city’s Opportunity Fund grant process helped push the project to its final stages with a $750,000 boost. Another $17,500 from a Neighborhood Matching Fund Small and Simple grant paid for for the schematic design including community gardening, art, and open spaces. That design, by the way, has been ready and on the shelf since 2011. The long wait hasn’t been a total waste, however. Neighbors have put the lot at one time lined up for a development project to some good use as a place to hangout — and sometimes more.

Meanwhile, a new wave of grants will help create new greenspaces and community projects around Central Seattle. The Capitol Hill Tool Library and a pocket park at 19th and Madison are just a couple of the projects that received matching grants from the city last week.

The Department of Neighborhoods awarded just over $467,000 in neighborhood matching grants through its Small and Simple Projects Fund. Neighborhood groups have pledged match with $600,000 in volunteer hours and donations to receive the grants.

Here are the Capitol Hill and Central District specific projects:

  • $25,000 to Friends of Cayton Corner Park to prepare construction documents for a neighborhood pocket park on Capitol Hill. (Community match: $12,630)
  • $12,000 to Capitol Hill Housing Foundation to engage renters living in the Capitol Hill EcoDistrict in voter registration and a 2016 Renters Summit. (Community match: $30,980)
  • $16,000 to Sustainable Capitol Hill to create a community tool library and fixer’s collective to provide items to check out or use in the workshop. (Community match: $42,100)
  • $10,000 to Gay City Health Project to solicit public input to create a database of health care providers to ensure the LGBTQ community has access to high quality, competent healthcare. (Community match: $7,220)
  • $11,500 to 23rd Avenue ACT (Action Core Team) to produce the Central Area Block Party in September to highlight the history and culture of the community. (Community match: $10,712)

Both the Cayton Corner Park and tool library are projects that have been several years in the making. Residents around the Cayton park have been working since at least 2013 to spruce up the triangle parcel. Sustainable Capitol Hill found a home for its tool share program in March at Crawford Pl and E Pike inside the First Covenant Church.

The application for Small and Simple grants reopens in October.