(WSB photos, looking through the chain-link fencing on the south side of the park)

After questions came up in the comment section on Monday, we confirmed with Seattle Parks that the fences up at the Highland Park playfield/playground area (1100 SW Cloverdale) are for the start of the HP Playground Improvements project.

This is *not* related to the playground project at nearby Highland Park Elementary, but it has been long in the works. The city’s description:

The scope of this work for the project is to relocate and replace the existing ballfield to allow t-ball, coach pitch ball and U-9 and under soccer, as well as provide access and safe bleachers for all. The ballfield relocation project will install ADA access to the ballfield by providing hard paving around the new backstop, into the dugouts and to the field, as required by ADA. Relocating the field will provide enough room on the south side of the field for an ADA path to the east side of the park and for an extension of the Cloverdale walk.

Project manager Kelly Goold tells WSB that while the official projected end date of construction is late June, the contractor hopes to be done by mid-May – reaching that goal depends on how the weather goes, “given the amount of site-work and paving involved in this project.”