By Aaron Allen, The Seattle Medium
Last Friday, the Judkins Park community gathered for a forum about the future of Judkins Park and brought together residents, city officials and important stakeholders to discuss overdue renovation work. The event, which was organized in collaboration with Seattle Parks and Recreation, Africatown Community Land Trust, the William Grose Center, no longer at, a personal perspective, inclusion matters and several architecture and design companies, aimed to inform the community about upcoming changes and invite public inputs.
According to Margo Jones, owner of a personal point of view, the forum was part of a broader effort to ensure that the community is still involved during the entire renovation process.
“This is the first of three phases of public relations,” said Jones. “The purpose of this meeting is to inform the community, collect feedback and promote commitment. The design process will be completed by the end of this summer and the actual expansion begins in 2026. ”
The renovation project Judkins Park tries to create an integrative, appealing and accessible space and at the same time recognize the history of the red line, shifting and gentrification in the neighborhood. By using public-private partnerships, the project is intended to ensure that the renovation work benefits the long-term residents and maintain the historical importance of the park.
The planned improvements include renovated toilets, an extended playground and upgrades of the Dolores Bradley Spray Park, including play opportunities and sensory science for children of all skills.
Jordan Hoy, project planner for the department for parks and recreation planning, capital and development in Seattle, emphasized the wider vision of the project.
“We use our private and public partnerships to go beyond traditional renovation of the play area,” said Hoi.
“Instead, we would like to expand and create a more integrative play area and at the same time make major investments in Judkins Park community,” added Hoi. “We also work with inclusion matters that specialize in integrative game for children of all ages and skills. In addition, we work with the William Grose Center and Africatown to meet the communities of Judkins Park and Central District in which they are located and prioritize youth votes in the design process. “
The estimated costs of the project are 3.3 million US dollars, which covers design, planning and construction. However, the complete completion depends on the securing of additional financing.
“The construction of the project in its entirety depends on additional funds. The project team actively pursues scholarship and donation opportunities, ”said a spokesman for parks and relaxation in Seattle and relaxation.
The project time strip began in autumn 2024, the early until the summer of 2025 for the design phase. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2026.
The superintendent of Seattle Parks and Recreation, AP diaz, emphasized the broader importance of parks for the construction of strong communities.
“Parks play an important role as places where people come together from all areas of life, feel a connection and take over the possession of a common public wealth value,” said Diaz.
“Judkins Park expressly deserves a high-quality play area, a spray park and a park design that meets the needs of the community and reflects its liveliness.”
Judkins Park was originally opened to the public on October 8, 1977 and is a multi -purpose park in the central district of Seattle. The park, which was named after Norman B. Judkins, a pioneer broker, has long been a meeting point for the residents.
Diaz emphasized that parks are essential for children and families and offer safe spaces for relaxation, growth and learning.
“The community trusts us every day with their most precious freight – their children,” said Diaz.
“Parents and parishioners rely on us to ensure that there are spaces that reflect the beauty of Seattle. The reason why we are here today is to support my team in working with the Judkins Park Community and our partners on this amazing opportunity to change Judkins Park. It is rare to have so much available country in a city and we want to make the best of it. “
Through organizations such as the William GRONE Center, young people have the opportunity to deal with the design process with modern technology, using their creativity and vision for the future of the park.
“Projects like this are important for people who have been referring to the Central District Home for 140 years,” said Wyking Garrett from Africatown Community Land Trust.
“Our presence here helps the future of the community. Judkins Park houses the Black Community Festival, the Umoja Fest – now in the 40th year – the CD Panthers and much more. We would like to ensure that these legacies will continue to the future. “
Garrett also emphasized the inclusion of young people in the design process through innovative technology.
“I am very happy how young people in the William Grose Center were involved in the design and contributions of their ideas through a game called Minecraft,” said Garrett.
“They acquire the landscape architecture, urban planning and the establishment of communities and are also busy with technology-and have fun at the same time. It's a nice thing. “
The renovation of Judkins Park is more than just an upgrade in the infrastructure-ES an opportunity to create a holistic environment that benefits the health and well-being of the entire community.
“Today we celebrate something great,” said Diaz.
“We undertake to change this space. This is just a small step in a larger investment that we return to this community. “