Seattle’s Lake Union Park Opens Today!
The 1.6 acres of Lake Union Park’s phase 1 opens today. After a year and a half of construction, the park will have it’s grand opening from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. today. Karen Daubert, executive director of the Seattle Parks Foundation says that “after 100 years of vision, 20 years of land acquisition and five years of fundraising, Lake Union Park is now open to be enjoyed by all.”
Designed by Hargreaves Associates, Lake Union Park “occupies a site rich with industrial heritage and maritime use adjacent to a developing mixed use neighborhood….A grove of trees provides a threshold to the park and a forecourt to a fountain that marks the transition from land to landfill. A model boat pond and islands of planting ‘float’ on the peninsula and entice visitors to the terraced lake edge. A new pedestrian bridge connects the main park to a restored wetland lake edge and canoe and kayak launching beach.”
The remaining 10.4 acreas of phase 2 will begin this summer and be completed in 2010. The total cost of the park is $29.6 million. Paul Allen’s development firm, Vulcan, has pledged $10 million towards the park that now anchors his emerging South Lake Union Neighborhood.
Whether it costs $29.6 million or $50 million, Seattle must continue to invest this kind of money towards community open spaces that can be enjoyed by all - we desperately need it. What we don’t need is more community money thrown at new sports stadiums whose visitors make up a small percentage of our population.
GO AND ENJOY!
Source: seattlepi.com
