Fritz Hedges Waterway Park

About

Fritz Hedges Waterway Park opened in the fall of 2020.  Located on Portage Bay and named after Fredrick "Fritz" Hedges a long-term Seattle Parks and Recreation professional, the park provides water access for hand-carried boats, shoreline restoration, open lawn space for passive recreation, and interpretive elements that tie into one of two historical narratives - the use of the Portage Bay Trail by Native Americans and the more recent maritime history (elements to be installed in late 2020).

The site began as a lumber mill owned by Puget Sound Box & Lumber Co. until it was purchased and turned into Bryant's Marina and boat sales. The UW then purchased the property in 1970's and was used for various activities including the UW Police Station and recycling center.  In 2013, UW transferred the property to the City of Seattle as part of a series of transactions among the UW, the City, and the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) in connection with WSDOT's SR 520 Program. WSDOT provided funds to the UW to facilitate the property transfer to Seattle Parks and Recreation so the property could be developed into a park as mitigation for the SR 520 Program's impacts to the Washington Park Arboretum and East Montlake Park. WSDOT also provided funding for the development of the park.

During the development of the park, Seattle Parks and Recreation completed extensive shoreline restoration and enhancement to support native species including juvenile salmon. The building on site was demolished and building elements were re-used throughout the park. The park is seamlessly integrated into the University of Washington campus and the adjacent Sakuma Viewpoint.