Little Saigon Park Development

Spring 2024

SPR has been working closely with the contractor, Harkness Construction who mobilized onsite in July 2023 to build out the park. Over the past nine months, the project has experienced delays due to:

• Unexpected soil conditions, requiring us to excavate 50% more of the site
• Installation of extra shoring to support the existing site features and proper removal of contaminated soil which ran into significant delays because of labor and hauling logistics
• Due to unexpected site conditions, a portion of the park had to be redesigned
• Unexpected utility conditions (water and sewer) which need substantial extra work to make the connections and require us to replace two concrete street panels and restore the entire right-of-way on the frontage of the park along King Street. 

We are working with the community and partners to hold a community celebration and park ribbon cutting as soon as construction is complete. 

• Update in Chinese
• Update in Vietnamese

The park design creates a flexible urban open space for residents, workers and visitors to the neighborhood. The park is designed to provide different sizes of spaces for accessible community gatherings and events and will include good sight lines and night lighting. The park will feature a colorful play area, supportive of active play for small children with a resilient rubber surface and concrete seat walls. Additionally, the Friends of Little Saigon are working on a mural for the park.

The Office of Arts & Culture (ARTS) is partnering with SPR on this project and put out a Call for Artists in 2019. Seattle artist, Kalina Chung was selected as the artist for the new Little Saigon Park. Chung’s artwork will be a free-standing piece that will serve as an entryway to the park from S Jackson St., inspired by Vietnamese Tube Houses – narrow multi-story homes – she encountered during her travels to Saigon and the buildings adjacent to the park. The art piece is installed and will be painted before the opening of the park.

The Seattle Park and Recreation’s Park Ranger program has put this park on their South Route and will visit the park during peak park use hours (between 8:30 a.m. and 7 p.m.). The South Route will be based at City Hall Park and conduct at least two patrols of Pioneer Square, Occidental, Union Station Square, Hing Hay, Donnie Chinn, Kobe Terrace, Freeway, Westlake, Little Saigon, Victor Steinbrueck, and the International District/Chinatown Community Center.

Previous community engagement efforts and more information on the partnership with The Seattle Office of Arts & Culture (ARTS) can be found here:

   •   Little Saigon Parking Study
   •   Little Saigon Project Summary (English and Vietnamese)
   •   Learn more about Kalina Chung the artist for the project
   •   International Special Review District Presentation

View the enlarged version of this Proposed Park Plan and Section