The wait is over: Westcrest Park expansion atop West Seattle Reservoir finally opens tomorrow

(City of Seattle photo by Jason Huff: ‘Flyers,’ installed @ park expansion last year)
More than five years in the making, the Westcrest Park expansion at West Seattle Reservoir finally opens tomorrow.

On Wednesday, July 8, 2015, Seattle Parks and Recreation will open the 20-acre expansion of Westcrest Park at the West Seattle Reservoir, located at 9000 8th Ave. SW in the Highland Park neighborhood of West Seattle. The new park expansion is the fifth reservoir lid-park collaboration between Seattle Parks and Recreation and Seattle Public Utilities (SPU).

The 20-acre expansion of the park captures panoramic views of the mountains and city skyline, while integrating a range of multi-generational amenities. Features include a flexible great lawn, a new play area with two zip-lines and a hillside slides, swaths of native prairie, strolling paths, parking and streetscape improvements, restrooms, and public art.

(Added: WSB photo taken today)
A mix of oak species will provide strategic shading, frame views and contribute to Seattle’s urban forest and habitat for generations to come. Site Workshop collaborated with the community, Seattle Parks and Recreation and SPU on designing the park and Mid-Mountain Construction built the park.

A new public artwork by David Boyer, “Flyers,” was installed in the park [photo above]. The piece consists of 15 bird- and plane-like kinetic sculptures mounted on steel poles. Grouped in three locations around the park, the sculptures will move to face the wind and the articulating tails will pivot as the wind blows. His inspiration for Flyers comes from airplanes in the SeaTac flight path and birds in the Duwamish Greenbelt. The artist worked with Seattle Public Utilities, Seattle Parks and Recreation and local community members to develop the wind-driven artwork. Flyers was commissioned with SPU and Seattle Parks and Recreation’s 1% for Art Funds and managed by the Office of Arts and Culture.

In addition, the Department of Neighborhoods constructed a P-Patch in Westcrest Park featured in our park design. This feature is funded by the community garden funding included in the Parks and Green Spaces Levy.

Seattle Public Utilities has replaced open reservoirs with underground structures to improve the quality and security of Seattle’s water supply. That replacement also provided for new park space at Jefferson Park, Cal Anderson Park, Myrtle Reservoir Park and Maple Leaf Reservoir Park.

Seattle Parks and Recreation will host a community celebration for Westcrest Park expansion at West Seattle Reservoir on Saturday, July 25, 2015 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

11 Replies to "The wait is over: Westcrest Park expansion atop West Seattle Reservoir finally opens tomorrow"

  • Ray July 7, 2015 (2:25 pm)

    It is a nice park and will be even nicer after we get back to a rainy pattern and the grass can turn green and grow in.

    I really hope the park can escape a lot of graffiti and vandalism. The kinetic statues and playground equipment will be easy to damage, especially the wire and rope based playground equipment. Someone with a knife can quickly ruin everyone’s fun.

  • HP gal July 7, 2015 (2:41 pm)

    Hooray!!!! This is GREAT news!!!

  • Lauren July 7, 2015 (2:45 pm)

    Yaaay! Can I jut say though, I really REALLY hope that people in this new play park respect Seattle’s leash laws? When this was just a large field people regularly had their dogs off leash. The off leash park is RIGHT NEXT DOOR. It is huge. There is plenty of space for your dog there. I am a regular visitor to this park (the old play park and the p patch) and I can’t tell you how many times I have been charged, jumped on, been aggressively barked at by people’s off leash dogs. Either people playing fetch in the field or walking to and from the south parking lot with no leash in sight. Just this weekend someone’s off leash dog was stomping through a vegetable garden in the p patch, destroying plants. I know gardeners whose children have been bitten by off leash dogs. I have been jumped on more times than I can count. I know dog owners say ‘my dog wouldn’t do that’ but THAT DOESN’T MATTER. The law is your dog is on leash. End of story. Not everyone loves dogs and not everyone loves your dog. Please, PLEASE keep your dog on leash.

  • Rob July 7, 2015 (6:13 pm)

    The drawing on the sign outside the fence had a sports court and “skate dot.” Wonder what happened to that. Would have been a great place to shoot hoops rather than the elementary. Oh well, still a beautiful park.

  • MelSpy July 8, 2015 (10:46 am)

    My dad worked for the contractor that buried the resevoir years ago… he has since retired, and the wait for my son who has been born since is finally over… there is a full circle right there…. BAM!

  • Sarah July 8, 2015 (11:01 am)

    I agree with Lauren! Keep your dogs on leashes! I have two dogs that are bad with other dogs and it drives me nuts when people let their dogs run loose off leash and they come running up to my dogs. Often they say “my dog is friendly!” Well, mine aren’t! So keep your dogs on leashes unless they are in a designated OFF LEASH park!

  • jwms July 9, 2015 (10:46 am)

    Amen to the dogs on leash comment. I basically can’t take my dog to any seattle parks anymore and have a *relaxing* walk. My dog has been attacked on a couple of occasions by off leash dogs and she’s understandably nervous. I can’t even reasonably train her that it’s okay now, because every self-entitled “I’ll do what I want” dog owner who thinks it’s not a problem (until they get caught) has taken away MY dog’s ability to have a safe social environment that affords her the chance to learn to trust public settings with dogs and humans ever again. Frankly, one of the reasons I’m seriously thinking of leaving Seattle… people here confuse me… I don’t understand their myopathy.

  • steve July 9, 2015 (3:03 pm)

    I took my young one to the park and was kinda concerned and disappointed about a couple things. My comments are basically in comparison to other new parks. This park seems more geared for infants. Infant swings only? The zip line bottoms out for my 8 year old.
    Also, on Zip line, there’s a potential head injury problem with the steel posts if you were to zip side to side. Many kids safely do this at Jefferson.
    Couldn’t this million dollar project have added just two larger swings for kids over 2 years old? In case you’re wondering, they’re $39 each. Geeez.
    And has anyone noticed the new swing hangers, they take 3 times more effort to swing than the old style? Junk. Poor design and engineering. Sorry for the rant. But it pains me to see so much money spent, and we won’t be going back.

  • Jill July 10, 2015 (12:27 pm)

    I think this is a beautiful park. The long winding paved paths are great for walking or even rollerblading. The play equipment at the top is fun, especially the large dome structure with all of the pieces to climb on and around. The zip line isn’t designed to be Northwest Canopy Tours – it’s a safe height and distance so anyone can use it. There is one slide that bottoms out at a large rockery which I could see causing potential injury if a child slid down it too fast let’s hope that doesn’t happen. Overall though, with the view of the city, the winding paths, and the playground I think it’s a wonderful use of the water reservoir space

  • Vanessa July 14, 2015 (9:14 am)

    Totally agree with Steve, there should be a few big kid swings. But other than that we love the new park!
    We have been a few times now and I’m curious about the south fence. All the gates are still up! They are unlocked so you can get around them but we have to go off the path to get around them. Maybe they can’t move the gates out of there yet but if the park is open couldn’t they at least move them off the path?

  • Neal July 25, 2015 (5:52 pm)

    I wouldn’t bring small children to the park. I just finished my walk and there was an 8 year old girl that got jumped on by a dog and screaming ow, ow ow.. This was in the ON leash area, but very few dog owners follow this. The dog owner blamed the little girl for running from the dog. REAL NICE. Seems like the city could make a boat load of money handing out off leash tickets. A few times a year should be enough to encourage owners to bring their leashes.

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