Just confirmed with the Parks Department that Monday will mark the official groundbreaking at Junction Plaza Park – two weeks after Parks Superintendent Tim Gallagher announced at a Parks Board meeting that the construction contract was finalized. The pocket park on the northwest corner of 42nd/Alaska in The Junction has been years in the making; the city bought the site five years ago with ProParks Levy money, but it languished without construction funding until a new community effort revved into high gear a little more than a year ago. You can see the park design at its official city webpage; it’s scheduled to be finished in time for summer events in The Junction, including West Seattle Summer Fest. ADDED 5:49 PM: The West Seattle Junction Association has issued an official announcement of Monday’s groundbreaking, which includes a 10 am ceremony. Read on:

The West Seattle Junction has it all: friendly retailers, delicious food, arts, culture and convenient services; everything except an open space park for gatherings, playdates and concerts. In a joint effort to remedy that, the West Seattle Junction Association and the Junction Neighborhood Organization are announcing the Breaking Ground Celebration on the future site of the Junction Plaza Park on April, 12, 2010 at 10:00 a.m. at the corner of SW Alaska Street and 42nd Avenue SW, on the site of a former filling station that has been re-mediated over 10-years, with the old tanks removed and the land completely “greened” to remain so in perpetuity. Park completion date is slated for late May 2010.

Junction Plaza Park, designed by landscape architect Karen Kiest, will feature a plaza, complete with brick and concrete seating; a lawn with decorative benches; and a central performance area. All planting will be Northwest natives, including Vine maple, Northwest Flowering dogwood, Oregon grape and Sword fern.

After a large fundraising effort in 2005, with the help of citizens, neighborhood matching funds and the Seattle Pro Parks levy, the site is now owned by the Seattle Parks Department.

The park represents a strong partnership between the West Seattle Junction Association (WSJA) and the Junction Neighborhood Association (JuNO). “This new park will provide opportunities for community gatherings, a place to meet friends, and a place for leisure in the heart of The Junction. The Junction Association and neighborhood groups have been working towards this goal for almost 10 years and it’s a pleasure to see it underway,” says WSJA Director Susan Melrose. Erica Karlovits, President of JuNO continues, “We are so excited to be able to protect and use the limited green space we have left in our ever growing urban village. The creation of Junction Plaza Park is an incredible addition to our vibrant community.”

The community is invited to come help beautify the park on Community Planting Day immediately following park completion. Interested parties should contact West Seattle Junction Association Director, Susan Melrose at susan@wsjunction.org for more information on participation.