FOLLOWUP: Two long-delayed West Seattle play-area projects finally go out to bid

(WSB photo, Lincoln Park South Play Area shortly after July 2017 closure)

After years of delays – six years, in one case – construction is finally on the horizon for two West Seattle playground projects, Lincoln Park South and Westcrest Park. Bundled together, as Seattle Parks said last year would be done, they are now open for bidding. The previous play equipment at Lincoln Park South was closed in July 2017 because of safety concerns from termite damage; at the time, Parks said it might take until the following year (2018) to get it replaced. A community-engagement process in 2017-2018 settled on a marine theme for the replacement. But over the ensuing years, the timeline has just kept sliding, with no clear explanation.

(WSB photo, Westcrest Park play area shortly after May 2021 closure)

Meantime, the Westcrest Park play area was closed two years ago, with similar “deterioration” concerns cited. Parks first said it would be replaced as part of the work at Westcrest Off-Leash Area, but last year decided instead to bundle it with the Lincoln Park project. The bid documents aren’t yet available online, but the schedule says bidding opened yesterday and will continue for three weeks. Typically, the construction schedule isn’t set until a contractor is chosen, so we don’t know yet how soon the work will start, nor whether the two will be built simultaneously or sequentially. The city website says the Lincoln Park project is budgeted at $600,000, but doesn’t list a dollar amount for Westcrest; both projects will be funded by the Seattle Park District.

17 Replies to "FOLLOWUP: Two long-delayed West Seattle play-area projects finally go out to bid"

  • Typical Seattle June 1, 2023 (12:13 pm)

    Too bad my kids are too old for these now. 

  • Jort June 1, 2023 (12:57 pm)

    Interesting to see that some playground equipment appears equivalent in cost to new home construction. $600,000! Perhaps it will have a movie room?

  • KT June 1, 2023 (1:46 pm)

    Six plus years to repair/replace playground equipment.  Parks Dept should be real proud.  

  • Kyle June 1, 2023 (2:38 pm)

    Hallelujah!

  • parent June 1, 2023 (3:47 pm)

    As someone with friends who work in the playground equipment field in the Midwest- $600,000 for TWO playgrounds is not going to get them far; especially with the cost of labor having increased at least 25% since COVID happened. Thanks, Parks Dept for delaying this so long, and merging it with another playground bid, that it will be the smallest replacement ever.  

  • HousingFirst June 1, 2023 (6:32 pm)

    Great news that our City Elects could find the money to build “play areas” while are vulnerable neighbors are living in squalor next to million dollar fixer uppers and Teslas. We should be putting EVERY single tax dollar towards solving the homeless crisis. It’s absolutely disgusting the priorities of this city.  There shouldn’t be “play time” until everyone has a home.  Imagine how far that 600k could have gone building tiny homes and RV sites…!?? Shameful. 

    • WSB June 1, 2023 (7:42 pm)

      (a) This is Park District money, and it has to go to park programs/services, as approved by voters.
      (b) There’s already unspent money waiting to fund a safe lot – more than a million dollars – and there are tiny homes awaiting sites. The problem there isn’t money, it’s the accountable agencies/organizations getting it done.

    • Molly June 1, 2023 (10:31 pm)

      What sort of juice have you been drinking? A) that’s not how government works- different budgets, different pots of money they get to work with, B) leave kids out of these debates of homeless and housing and affordability- parks are good for EVERYONE in the community, and kids are allowed to be kids for as long as we can let them be so, and C) there is an infinite number of money that could be spent on housing and homeless and you will still find some rejecting housing -signed, someone whose aunt was a drug addicted homeless who refused help. 

  • uncle loco June 1, 2023 (9:11 pm)

    I gotta ask… What’s wrong with the stuff that’s already there? It looks nicer than anything I got to play on when I was a kid.

    • WSB June 1, 2023 (9:22 pm)

      Those are both file photos. There’s nothing “there” at LP now; the termite-chewed equipment was removed. Parks cited similar damage in closing the one at Westcrest.

  • Apotheosis June 1, 2023 (9:21 pm)

    Head scratcher that these took so long to go to bid. Almost be fun to file a FOIA to better understand the delay-  keeping play areas clean and functional should be an easy win for local govt.

  • Eldorado June 2, 2023 (7:22 am)

    …too late, my kids are in college now. 

  • Orb June 2, 2023 (8:06 am)

    I don’t understand how playground equipment could need to be replaced so soon. That playground at westcrest has to be less than 10 years old. Can they not make repairs, or keep up with maintaining?

  • snowskier June 2, 2023 (12:26 pm)

    Great that they are finally getting replaced after a length of time that displays gross incompetence in the parks department.  PTAs regularly fundraise and assemble with parental help new play structures in a matter of months.  Any updates on the Hiawatha field renovation that was planned to being on 5/16?  By luck and happenstance, they didn’t start before the WS Baseball team wrapped up their state tourney run.

    • WSB June 2, 2023 (12:33 pm)

      Work was either under way or imminent on the batting cages part of the project on the north side of the school when we went by to look last week.

  • Leon Jackson June 3, 2023 (2:32 pm)

    This whole hill is loaded with subterranean termites. When you bury wood into the earth they will eat it. Hopefully its a new style of playground. 

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