FEEDBACK WANTED: Alki playground redesign team is collecting input, and needs yours

By Jason Grotelueschen
Reporting for West Seattle Blog

The team working on the Alki playground renovation project as part of the larger rebuild of Alki Elementary School is continuing to gather community feedback, and held a public meeting on Wednesday afternoon at the Alki Beach Bathhouse to get input from neighbors and to provide updates about the design process.

Back in early October, the team launched an online Alki Park Improvements – Play Equipment Survey, which will remain open for one more week (likely closing on Thursday Oct. 24th). The public is encouraged to take this survey and submit feedback regarding three possible options (from three different equipment vendors) for the “play equipment area” of the park (see top-left in the image above). The project area is on the north side of the school and the south side of Alki Playfield.

Here is a link to a PDF with high-resolution images of the three design options. Those same visuals were printed and on display in the public meeting on Wednesday, with questions being answered by team members including Matt Olszewski (first photo below) and Will Shrader (second photo below), both from Osborn Consulting, an engineering and consulting company that’s working on the project:

Liz Browning from Osborn was also in attendance, along with team members including project manager Brian Fabella from Seattle Public Schools and Rhys Harrington from Seattle Parks. The event drew a steady crowd throughout the afternoon:

Team members said that this meeting and the new survey represents the second round of feedback gathering, following up on “round one” which was a prior survey and public event on Alki earlier this summer. This latest round of feedback is a chance for the community to provide input on the play area and the preferred play equipment options, to help guide the final project designs for the playground renovation.

The new Alki Elementary is expected to be completed and open when classes start in fall of 2026, with the playground construction starting in spring 2026 and also finishing before school starts.

Why October 17, 2024 (8:51 pm)

It’s important to remember the playground is not part of the school and the property is on Parks Department land, separate from School District property. This project is attempting to obfuscate this fact. The huge, expensive ongoing construction is an elementary school without its own playground.

Kyle October 17, 2024 (9:58 pm)

But all the kids will use it at recess. This is similar to the Fairmount Park playground that was rebuilt a few years ago; also on park land, also right next to a school. It’s actually better that it is off school property so they can’t lock it up like some elementary schools do during the summer (Looking at you Genesee)
- Why October 17, 2024 (11:59 pm)
  
  All good points! Keep in mind that the Fairmount Park school property is roughly 2.5 times the size of the Alki school property.

Sam October 17, 2024 (8:58 pm)

It’s interesting that whenever the Alki Elementary rebuild came up before on WSB, there would be dozens of comments from people who presumably care deeply about the school. I guess it was always just about parking spots.

Liyah October 18, 2024 (3:27 am)

Would love to see the beautiful tall slide, that used to be at whale tale park and a classic merry-go-round. Two of my favorite things from my childhood!

Taylor October 18, 2024 (6:43 am)

Hi WSB – the survey link isn’t working here or from the link on their website FYI.

WSB October 18, 2024 (11:35 am)

Looks like they may have inadvertently closed it. We’ll flag Parks. Thank you.

Hiawatha still waiting October 21, 2024 (12:09 pm)

Good luck with the timeline! Hiawatha is still waiting on it playground rebuild after many years. Planning and Design: Fall 2019 – Summer 2022; Permit Revision: Fall 2023 – Fall 2024; Bidding: Winter 2024 – Early 2025; Construction Start: Spring 2025

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