FOLLOWUP: Morgan Junction Park expansion site clearing now; planning/design still distant

Six days after it began, demolition of the former commercial building on the Morgan Junction Park expansion site is almost complete. Our photos from this morning shows the crew clearing the rubble, though the former Short Stop Market sign is still standing.

As discussed in our coverage last week, this was originally purchased by Seattle Parks for $1.9 million as a “landbanked” site – to hold until money was found to design and develop actual park features. That money, as we also reported, will come from the Park District levy that voters passed in 2014. So the remaining question is: When?

We tried reaching some of the directly involved Parks staffers last week, without success, so today we asked the communications team to help us find the answer. Spokesperson Dewey Potter replied, “The planning and design processes for landbanked sites will take place in the order in which they were acquired, and we’re starting the processes for them as Seattle Park District funding becomes available. All will have begun planning and design by 2018. The Morgan Junction site is scheduled to begin planning and design in 2018.” The original Morgan Junction Park to the south opened in 2009, so it’ll be a decade old before the expansion is fully developed.

P.S. While landbanked sites are NOT on the agenda, the Park District oversight committee is having a meeting tonight, 6:30 pm at Parks HQ downtown (100 Dexter Ave. N.), with a public hearing on “major projects challenge” proposals.

miws August 16, 2016 (11:57 am)

Maybe the sign, (with the beer listings), should be saved as part of the new park, as a historical artifact/ art for the park in general. If not, maybe the Southwest Seattle Historical Society might want it for the Log House Museum? ;-)

It is, after all, sort of a West Seattle, or at least Morgan Junction , icon. ^_^

Mike

WSGirl August 16, 2016 (2:36 pm)

Design will begin in 2018?!?!?!?!?!??!?!? So this is just going to sit empty and useless until then? Am I reading this wrong?

sam-c August 16, 2016 (2:50 pm)

No, it will be empty later than 2018, apparently. With planning/ design starting in 2018, I’m guessing completed construction and opening in what… 2020?

Josh August 16, 2016 (3:13 pm)

That short stop used to have the best fried chicken and JoJo’s…then they stopped selling it. Oh well. Anyways, atleast this won’t become more Condo’s.

Chuck August 16, 2016 (3:59 pm)

Nature–and developers–abhor a vacuum. Yeah, I know this is all tied up as a “landbank” project, but with the supposed leadership of this city nothing would surprise me. With land values increasing the way they are–and money “on the way”–I could see how this parcel could slip back into developers hands eventually. The city gets tight for funds, deals are made… The only way that park gets built for sure is if it happens sooner than later. And it’s already scheduled for later as it it…

Color me pessimistic.
RC August 16, 2016 (9:44 pm)

Good Teriyaki for a while too.

Chuck Bisbee August 16, 2016 (3:37 pm)

One way the city could speed up the design process is to have an open invitation design composition of local architects, landscape designers, and landscape firms and the everyday individual competing to design the remainder of the park. Preference to W. Seattle individuals would be nice but don’t exclude good ideas because they are not from W. Seattle. A design packet could be published online and a small remittance for time to the winning selection. I think this could speed things up and give the local community their chance.

WSB August 16, 2016 (3:57 pm)

That’s a fresh idea!
KM August 16, 2016 (4:08 pm)

Love this idea!

Rick Yeabsley August 16, 2016 (6:52 pm)

Just plain irresponsible to tear down the commercial buildings but do nothing with the site until 2018. The city could have been collecting rent all this time. Waste of tax payer money!

wsn00b August 16, 2016 (7:22 pm)

It should be turned into a homeless camp/RV camper parking lot till 2020.

RC August 16, 2016 (9:46 pm)

That would be the woods behind it.
- RC August 16, 2016 (9:46 pm)
  
  Bad stuff there.

Junction Lady August 16, 2016 (8:51 pm)

That property was an eyesore to say the least. Glad to see it demolished…hopeful the ‘powers that be’ will design with panache. Have to say that it does seem a tad strange to develop a park adjacent to an existing park?? How about a “square” with a beautifully maintained flower garden with a water feature to drown out the car alarms, loud buses and other undesirable city noise. Morrgan Square has a nice ring to it; )

S August 17, 2016 (8:13 am)

The City of Seattle showing you again why they are a joke and have no common scene.

Joel Schoenberg August 17, 2016 (6:39 pm)

I spoke with the parks department folks working on the design a few months ago, and the proposed interim use was a parking lot for the local businesses. I suggested a food truck corralled and they were very enthusiastic, given that a similar piece of land in the Denny Triangle was used for that same purpose while designing a park was being done. If you agree, then call the parks department and let ’em know!

Oh, and it takes far less than 2 years to construct a park of this size, so don’t think that it’ll be 2020 before it’s usable… Probably it will be within the same year, but 2019 at the latest.

Sorry, comment time is over.