Tag Archives: parks

Despite new projects, vision for Capitol Hill’s Volunteer Park remains unchanged

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With $54M worth of structural and design upgrades underway, the Seattle Asian Art Museum renovation is just one of several ongoing projects in Capitol Hill’s Volunteer Park. Nearly 120 years after the ridgeland was shaped by an Olmsted design, a passionate cohort of minders advocate, volunteer, and fundraise in order to preserve function and maximize recreation for the community. Sunday, some of these caretakers invite you to get your hands dirty along with them as they spruce up the park.

This Sunday is Fall Restoration Day at the park from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM when volunteers of all ages are invited to meet at the southeast entrance at Prospect and 15th Ave E to help with weeding, mulching and more. There will be free donuts and coffee.

Fall Restoration Day in Volunteer Park

“One of the positives of the park is that it hasn’t changed a whole lot in over 100 years,” said Parks and Recreation project manager Kelly Goold.

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Seattle Parks says Cal Anderson experiment with cork-filled field a winner

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With Seattle kids swarming playfields for fall soccer, Seattle Parks and Recreation tells CHS the department’s experiment at Cal Anderson using a new more environmentally friendly cork base for its turf fields has been enough of a success to roll the solution out at more locations in the city.

“We will be using the same synthetic turf system that we installed at Cal Anderson at Brighton and Soundview playfields and are in the process of updating our specifications for future synthetic turf conversion and replacement projects,” a Seattle Parks rep tells CHS. Continue reading →

As redevelopment continues, community celebrates opening of Yesler Terrace Park

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“As this city becomes increasingly dense, we continue to need spaces like this. This is the kind of space where memories will be created by all the young people here,” Christopher Williams, interim superintendent of the Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation, said at the grand opening of the brand new Yesler Terrace Park on Saturday. “This park will be the center of the Yesler community.”

Yesler Terrace Park includes a fountain, public seating, a soccer field, basketball court, an intricate playground and an expansive view of the Seattle skyline, all of which were designed and created by several city groups and local organizations. Community members, city officials, and families gathered to celebrate this new public space.

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Artful nights on Capitol Hill: Art Walk, 3rd annual Lusio lights in Volunteer Park, ANiMA in Cal Anderson

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In addition to August’s second Thursday bringing this month’s Capitol Hill Art Walk to the neighborhood’s galleries, cafes, restaurants, and bars, the next couple of nights will also fill Capitol Hill’s parks with art and performance.

Thursday, check out the monthly art walk including a few friends of CHS — a full roster and map is available at capitolhillartwalk.com. Make sure to stop by the Ghost Cabin installation, echoing with the spirit of a long-gone Capitol Hill farmhouse in Chophouse Row.

Friday, you’ll be faced with an artful choice — bright lights in Volunteer Park or a “future without borders” in Cal Anderson. Continue reading →

Seattle can’t afford a new First Hill park so it’s planning to spend $1M to fix up the old First Hill Park

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Seattle has money set aside to buy park land in the First Hill neighborhood. The First Hill neighborhood, however, doesn’t really have any park land for sale. The solution? Move $1 million $500,000 from the Seattle Park’s acquisition funding and invest it the neighborhood’s existing central green space — First Hill Park.

UPDATE: An additional $500,000 to complete the project will come from the Swedish Medical Center public benefits package.

The Seattle City Council’s civic development committee will discuss the proposal Wednesday afternoon following years of community involvement to reshape the 0.2-acre city park adjacent Stimson-Green Mansion at Minor and University. Continue reading →

CHS Pics | Athos, Porthos and Aramis — and d’Artagnan, too — in Volunteer Park

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Friends share an inflatable couch while watching themes of friendship, loyalty, pride, love, and ambition in Volunteer Park

The plays were the thing this weekend in Volunteer Park as the annual Seattle Outdoor Theater Festival filled the public green space with drama, comedy, and, thanks to the hot summer temperatures, a general appreciation for more matter with less art. CHS stopped by Saturday’s Greenstage performance of The Three Musketeers. Continue reading →

Final vote for 2018 Your Voice, Your Choice District 3 projects includes crossing at 14th/Aloha, Summit Ave sidewalk work

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More than 130 ideas for District 3 have been narrowed to a handful in a community process CHS documented in all of its awkward glory here. Now the sometimes awkward, occasionally twisted Your Voice, Your Choice citizen budgeting process for street and park improvements is down to it final phase for the year.

Through July 16th, District 3 citizens can cast their votes for three of ten finalist projects that range from a $16,100 plan to improve the crossing at 14th and Aloha on Capitol Hill to a $90,000 proposal to repair the sidewalk on Summit Ave between Madison and Spring on First Hill. Continue reading →

CHS Pics | All dogs are good dogs at fourth annual First Hill Fidos

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Now in its fourth year, First Hill Fidos filled the park with furry friends and their fans Thursday night. As the doggos marked their territory in our hearts, neighbors met each other for the first time, and some new friends were made in the process.

Thanks to the dedicated efforts of Alex Hudson and the First Hill Improvement Association, First Hill Fidos brings a little activity to an otherwise mostly quiet First Hill Park. “It’s like that classic Seattle joke, people say hi to the dog but they won’t say hi to a person,“ Hudson tells CHS, “This is a way to break that a little bit. There’s such a community of dog people, and providing them an opportunity to get together and meet each other. Plus, it’s cute as hell.” Continue reading →

Here’s why this weird little Capitol Hill park is hosting a weekly summer DJ set

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PlayThey: Top row (left to right): Jasper Fox, Brian is Ze, Jazz Goldman
Bottom Row: Kara Phoebe, Neve Be, Joy Ma
Not pictured: Christian Radler

A triangular park in front of one of the most unique office buildings in the world isn’t your typical venue for summer DJ dancing. THiRST, a weekly all-ages party, is putting the unassuming McGilvra Place Park along E Madison at 15th into motion every Friday through summer.

‘THiRST is a queer/femme DJ event. I started off go-go dancing in the gay scene being kind of like the ‘hot oddity,’ in the room,” Kara Phoebe says.

After working in many different entertainment industries and watching friends barred from different venues and areas for being “too intersectional,” Phoebe was inspired to start a collective of seven queer artists with the goal of being as accessible as possible. Continue reading →

Pared back plan for new Volunteer Park Amphitheater still has one crucial rainy Seattle feature: a roof

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On a cold and drizzly weekend, let us think of summer days on the Volunteer Park lawn, enjoying music and maybe a cup of wine. That stage where the music is coming from? The plan to create a new amphitheater in Volunteer Park is moving steadily forward from dream to reality.

“Volunteer Park Trust is continuing to look for opportunities for support for the Amphitheater Project, including applying for a Major Projects Challenge Fund grant,” the group’s Jeff Crandall tells CHS. “In doing so, we are seeking letters of support from community organizations for the project. We have been working with public officials on obtaining funding support from city and state funding sources. And in order to make the fundraising more manageable, we’ve been working with ORA Architects on a design review to seek cost savings from the original estimate.” Continue reading →