Seattle City Wire

Seattle Parks and Recreation and our partners Rainier Beach Link2Lake and Seattle Parks Foundation are happy to announce construction for the Be’er Sheva Park Upland Improvements starts June 12, 2023.

The construction is anticipated to run through the end of 2023. The contractor, Wyser Construction will mobilize in the park on the basketball court, on the south side of Mapes Creek and in a portion of the Atlantic City Boat Ramp parking lot, 8702 Seward Park Ave S, Seattle, WA 98118. SPR and Wyser Construction will work to minimize the impact of construction on the neighborhood, however, a large portion of the park will be closed, and water access will be limited during construction.

This community driven project began with a $133,0000 Neighborhood Matching Fund (NMF) grant from the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods which provided funding for the initial planning and design. Funding for the overall improvements at Be’er Sheva Park is a public, private partnership with Seattle Parks and Recreation, Rainier Beach Link2Lake and the Seattle Parks Foundation, who secured funding from a variety of public and private sources including the Metropolitan District Funding, the State of Washington, King County and the City of Seattle to reach the $2.5 million project goal.

From 2017-2021 Rainier Beach Link2Lake facilitated a robust community engagement process to design and voice a community vision for Be’er Sheva Park. Design parties at community centers along with a dozen other events and online surveys provided space for the community to shape the park’s future. 

“This project reflects Seattle Parks and Recreation’s commitment to build high quality and equitable parks throughout the City and how we work hand and hand with the community to hear their priorities and to implement projects to enhance the community and advance health and wellness throughout Seattle. Our Department allocated an additional $824,000 after the public bids for the Be’er Sheva Park Upland work came in significantly higher than the project budget to continue the robust delivery of this vital South Seattle park renovation,” said AP Diaz, SPR Superintendent.

The Be’er Sheva Park renovation project is a multi-phased approach. The first phase included a comfort station mural which was completed by youth, young adults, and community members in June 2021. The next phase is the “Upland” renovation work that includes improved waterfront access, a concrete boardwalk, covered gathering spaces, lighted walking paths, BBQs and picnic tables, a cultural performance stage and artistic signage. The next two phases include the “In-Water” work which will provide habitat enhancement for the Be’er Sheva shoreline followed by the fitness equipment and play area installation.

IkeoArt, a well-known Rainier Beach artist, created Art Panels that will be placed on construction fencing during this Upland phase. One of the panels was a collaboration with residents at the Lake Washington Apartments, a multigenerational housing complex south of Be’er Sheva Park. The community is encouraged to watch the website for an installation event.

For more  information, please visit https://www.seattle.gov/parks/about-us/projects/beer-sheva-park-improvements. Learn more at https://rainierbeachlinktolake.org/.

Original source can be found here.