Kubota Garden Improvements

Fall 2019

Kubota Garden Master Plan Update

Kubota Garden is a public American-Japanese garden in South Seattle that started as a beautiful vision of Fujitaro Kubota, a Japanese emigrant. You are invited to learn more about Fujitaro's story.

Thank you to everyone who provided input on for the Master Plan Update and participated in the Master Plan Update process. See information available below. Kubota Garden has seen many changes in the years since its Master Plan was put in place. Consequently, a Master Plan Update is being developed to guide garden development programs and maintenance over the next 20 to 30 years. Master Plan Update will preserve the garden and passive recreation use, while defining future improvements, such as buildings, parking, pathways, and security, as well as assessment and recommendations for protecting the garden's existing creek, vegetation and wildlife. The design team of Jones & Jones Architects and Landscape Architects and Hoshide Wanzer Architects used public input as they developed ideas for the garden.

View the Preferred Concept Plan created by our designers with your input.

Thank you, Seattle. The Kubota Garden Perimeter Wall is complete!

A community-initiated project, the Seattle Park District Major Projects Challenge Fund provided matched funding for design/construction of an expansion to the existing ornamental wall. The project was completed in fall of 2019.

Why is this wall being built?

• The ornamental wall currently being constructed continues the wall built (primarily by volunteers) over the course of the past 15 years. When complete, the current construction will be the same height and have the same beautiful roof and stucco finish as the wall of the entry gate. The additional wall will help secure and protect this Kubota Garden while enhancing the experience of the more than 65,000 people who visit this urban sanctuary each year.

Will the City begin charging admission to get into Kubota Garden?

• It's crucial that Kubota Garden remains accessible to the public. If at some point in the future the City decides to charge admission, we will work with the community on that transition.

Construction of the perimeter wall was completed in early July 2018. The new wall matches the existing wall extending north of the main entry and closing at the 55th Ave entrance. Additional landscaping was brought up to the walls foundation and new plantings will be planted in front of the wall this spring. In addition to the wall, the exit gate roof was lowered to make it more architecturally proportionate. New stone pavers were also added to this exit. We have been working on fabrication of a maintenance gate and exit gate which will be installed in fall 2019.

Thank you to the Kubota Garden Foundation for fundraising and moving this ornamental wall and gates project forward. Seattle Parks and Recreation and the contractor hired for the project are working to minimize impact to the neighborhood.