Parks & Open Space
Goals include maximizing existing parks and open spaces, improving access to the Duwamish River, addressing open space disparities, and ensuring Duwamish Valley residents - particularly communities of color, immigrants, refugees, Native peoples, and people with low incomes and disabilities can enjoy high-quality places to recreate and access nature.
2023 Progress Highlights
View the full 2023 Annual Update
NEW: Unity Electric
Ecology elected to move the park into the MTCA’s formal cleanup process in June 2021 during the park renovation. As part of the formal process, an Agreed Order between SPR and Ecology was signed in November 2023 to address the remaining environmental work and areas of concern at the park. This Agreed Order includes both Duwamish Waterway Park and the adjacent site known as “Unity Electric.” The City of Seattle has started the initial work required under the Agreed Order by submitting the Draft Remediation Investigation Work Plan.
South Park Community Center and Site Redevelopment
While the facilities remain closed during site plan development and future construction, Seattle Parks & Recreation provided additional access space and programming for community member. The Community Center will remained closed through 2025. For the time being, South Park Community Center programs have temporarily moved to Concord International Elementary School.
South Park Plaza
Due to contracting challenges, the planned construction on the Plaza in Summer 2023 was delayed. However, Parks finalized design of the project. The oval park design offers a play area, a large plaza, seat walls, lighting, and landscaping. Many cultural elements have been embedded throughout with Lushootseed language etching of "river" walk, tiled surfaces, large colored letters spelling out South Park, Indigenous plantings, story rock and different cultural paving patterns.
Georgetown Flume Off-Leash Area (OLA)
Construction is anticipated in the summer of 2024 and will be led by SDOT in coordination with the Georgetown to South Park Connection project. Project updates as construction occurs will be provided on the SDOT project website, and we encourage you to check their website for updates and contact information at the link above.
NEW: Marra-Desimone Park
The second phase for Marra-Desimone Park improvements began in early 2023, which includes the play area. Construction is anticipated in 2025.
2022 Progress Updates
South Park Community Center updates
The 2022 wave of improvements focuses on replacing the gas fired boiler with an electric heat pump system, that will also provide cooling in the summers.
SPR also received a grant to install solar panels on the building to completely electrify the community center. The playfield will receive a full renovation, with a new synthetic turf field, lights, and the play area will be relocated away from the highway and include a spray park.
Georgetown Flume updates
This project is a coordinated effort between SPR, SDOT, and SCL. The design includes a portion of the SDOT Georgetown to South Park Connection with a lit multi-use trail, a large bio-retention cell, a small and shy dog off-leash area, regular off-leash area and over 80 trees. In early 2022 the WA Department of Ecology required an Interim Action Work Plan (IAWP) that Ecology must approve (this process takes 9-12 months to complete). There is on-going cleanup of the landscape that the Off-Leash Area is connected to under an Agreed Order (No. DE 5685) between Ecology, Boeing, the City, and King County
Waterway Park updates
2022 has been a dynamic year for Duwamish Waterway Park that has seen improvements to the park following final construction. While the project was in the Voluntary Cleanup Program, the WA Department of Ecology (Ecology) moved it into a formal cleanup process under an Agreed Order through the Model Toxics Control Act (MTCA). With the completed construction, fencing that limited access to the park has been moved to limit access around areas of concern that may need further testing for pollutants and therefore may need further cleanup as part of the Agreed Order.
South Park Plaza updates
SPR secured a King County Healthy Communities Grant to help fund the cultural/community elements for the park. These include a solar charging station, multi-cultural elements for the “South Park” sign, tile work for the plaza seat wall in the park, and Indigenous people's stories in pathways, stone erratic, and interpretive exhibits. The design team is nearing 100% construction documentation and will bring the project forward for bidding.
Georgetown Playfield
Seattle Parks and Recreation resurfaced the Georgetown Playfield in 2022 with new turf and infill for the synthetic playfield which now has markings for soccer and ultimate frisbee. Additionally, the southeast corner of the field offers markings for kickball, softball, or baseball. All can be played without inserting bases.
Marra-Desimone Park
SPR completed the first phase of Marra-Desimone Park improvements at the beginning of 2022 and the park is open. This first phase was shaped by budget and community priorities, and included accessible pathways and walking loops, a central open green area, benches, picnic tables, drainage improvements, paved parking lot with accessible (ADA) parking, a new irrigation system with solar powered control system and 80+ trees and grass plantings.
Unity Electric
In 2021, SPR purchased a 1-acre site on the Duwamish River (Unity Electric site), next to Duwamish Waterway Park to support community interests in open space, increasing access to the river, habitat restoration, and developing community-supportive nonprofit spaces. In 2022, SPR and OPCD developed a site planning process to engage community members to identify major elements on the site, what will be included in the project, and where these buildings and elements will be located. This project is one of the pilot projects for the Resilience District work.
Duwamish Waterway Park
Seattle Parks & Recreation (SPR) has been making improvements to the park. Construction is nearing completion and work is underway with the Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) to define final environmental remediation actions.
South Park Plaza
SPR has been leading this work. The project is nearing completion of construction documents and permits have been submitted to King County for their review and approval.
Unity Electric
SPR purchased a 1-acre site on the Duwamish River (Unity Electric site), next to Duwamish Waterway Park to support community interests in open space, increasing access to the river, habitat restoration, and developing community-supportive nonprofit spaces.
Georgetown Flume Off-Leash Area
SCL transferred part of the property SPR to develop a new off-leash area and pedestrian thoroughfare in the Georgetown neighborhood. After meeting with Ecology, SPR learned that the project is now required to submit an Interim Action Work Plan (IAWP) that Ecology must approve. Consequently, construction must be delayed until summer of 2023, contingent upon Ecology’s approval of the IAWP.
8th Ave. S and Gateway Park North
SDOT continues working with community, SPR, and the Port of Seattle on plans to improve the 8th Ave. S Street End/Gateway Park North in Georgetown, and to develop an environmental testing and remediation strategy.
2020 Progress
The City remediated soil and made improvements to the Duwamish Waterway Park and continued working on the design of the South Park Plaza.