FOLLOWUP: Lincoln Park south play area project delayed again

(WSB photo, July 2017)

It’s been two and a half years since Lincoln Park‘s south play area was closed for safety concerns – and the rebuild has been delayed again. We noticed that a new update on the project website says the project won’t be going out to bid until early next year:

This project has experienced some unforeseen delays. We anticipate the bid will be advertised in early 2020, with construction beginning in spring 2020.

We asked Seattle Parks for details on those delays, given that it’s already been almost two years since community design input for the project. Spokesperson Karen O’Connor replies, “Currently, Planning and Development has over six play area renovations going on across the city, and we’ve had to make some adjustments in our scheduling to ensure that all these projects can keep making progress.”

old timer November 15, 2019 (2:27 pm)

How many people employed in “Planning in Development”, what is their total pay, and why are they so overwhelmed by 6 projects in two years? What a joke.
Yeah, she will come back with “Thats not all they are responsible for” and I’d say “What else?” Still a joke.

Frustrated November 15, 2019 (2:29 pm)

Wow, newsflash — the Parks Department is incompetent! Oh yes they have many other projects around the city they are working on. Meanwhile, the people of the city continue to elect the some city council members who oversee this incompetence and do nothing about it except think of innovative and creative ways to tax us.

WSB November 15, 2019 (3:23 pm)

Two points of clarification:
-The Parks Department employees report to the Superintendent, who is appointed by the mayor.
-The “same city council” has not been re-elected. Of nine councilmembers, three ran for re-election. Two of them had only served one term. All three were re-elected. Of the two citywide councilmembers, one is on her first term. So in all, the council that will be in office in January will have a majority of members – five of nine – serving their first terms.
- Jon Wright November 15, 2019 (3:48 pm)
  
  Why let facts get in the way of a good screed?

TJ November 15, 2019 (4:33 pm)

Wow. They are getting overwhelmed by six play area renovations? They aren’t trying to build a skyscraper, just a children’s big toy. You want to see the rusty gears of government beuracracy in action, I give you Seattle Parks. My brother-in-laws construction company could build this in a couple days for a fraction of the cost this will end up being. Is it any wonder there is never enough money, the only surprise is people blindly keep writing blank checks in tax increases for both Seattle and King County Parks

John Q Lincoln November 15, 2019 (6:32 pm)

Neighborhood kids will no longer be kids by the time this is done. It wasn’t necessary to begin with – the old structure was great. Miss the old zip line and play structure. No reason to remove either one.

momosmom November 16, 2019 (4:30 am)

Born 1955…remember when the neighborhood kids would play in their yards, go to their friends house play in their yards, play in the streets YES I know that’s impossible now a days and now we depend on the City or County to find places for our kids to play… what the heck.

WSB November 16, 2019 (6:37 am)

It’s not a “nowadays” thing to use a public playground. This one was among my kid’s favorites and he is now years grown-and-gone. We are lucky to have a house and a small yard but few have lots big enough to hold a swing set and climbing/slide structure, and in a densifying city there will be even fewer. But that’s not a “nowadays” thing either – I grew up in other cities, mostly in multifamily housing, and played on school/park playgrounds myself. – TR