FOLLOWUP: Quick check-in on Hiawatha Community Center

(WSB photo from start of work in March)

Almost 10 months have passed since Seattle Parks‘ long-delayed “stabilization” work at Hiawatha Community Center finally began. When Parks recently released a list of open-this-winter restrooms, with a notation about one at Hiawatha reopening, we asked if that meant the center was expected to reopen, at least partially, before spring. Short answer from Parks: No. Longer answer from Parks spokesperson Karen O’Connor: “The building will not be opening before spring. We are working on assigning a new project manager and working out some potential additional environmental improvements. We will have more information in January.” Last December, we talked with a Parks manager about why the center had been closed almost four years before work began.

Monica December 28, 2024 (1:27 pm)

This is so disheartening for the Admiral community. Our neighborhood kids do not have an activity center anymore. Parks and Rec has continuously used the Lafayette building for their after school program which was formerly held at Hiawatha. With over enrollment at Lafayette, the space is not adequate as there are no extra classrooms for them to house the after school program. Instead, they run it out of the cafeteria and gym, where they have to unpack and setup their things everyday. They are also not able to accommodate enough childcare for us due to the size limitations. This also limits the Lafayette community with events. We can’t have any events in our cafeteria until after 6 pm since it’s being used by the Parks and Rec program. I don’t understand why this project keeps getting delayed. They say environmental concerns but then there is not an update. It seems to not be a priority. The playground has been in the works for the past 10 years as well and still no updates. When I’ve emailed the project managers, there are no replies.

onion December 28, 2024 (3:46 pm)

I’m not one of the chronic complainers about city services, but the Parks Dept has an awful record regarding timely completion of projects. Example 1 is the south playfield in Lincoln Park. The Hiawatha Community Center and playground are two other glaring examples. Aside from its day-to-day programs, Hiawatha would be a critical community resource if or when we ever have a major earthquake. I have little faith that they will ever restore Camp Long. I wish the Seattle Times would investigate the Parks Departments sorry record on improvement and maintenance projects.

Lucky Lou December 30, 2024 (1:22 am)

Yet somehow the parks department can fast track annoying and costly pickleball courts in (formerly) serene Lincoln Park…
- K December 30, 2024 (12:57 pm)
  
  That project was just getting rid of storage on the play surface and restriping. They spent 10x more time and resources listening to the NIMBYs whine about it than it would have taken to complete the original scope.

sna December 28, 2024 (3:51 pm)

The 4+ year closure and ongoing delays is an embarrassment. From the project description this is building retrofit that doesn’t appear overly complex, not some huge infrastructure project. I don’t know how anything could explain it other than total mismanagement.

Meyer December 30, 2024 (1:03 pm)

Competely agree four years is too long.However IIRC (WSB correct me if I’m wrong) a big part of that 4 year delay was waiting on Federal grant money that got derailed/delayed/deadlocked due to Covid. Something along the lines of the City couldn’t begin any work whatsoever or even get bids until the Federal Grant process was done because Federal Grants won’t be given to in-flight projects – only brand new projects that presumably meet certain design/budget/guidelines etc.After this lingered for a number of years the City finally said “screw it” and just decided to pay for it themselves. We finally have some forward progress as we received 8 bids, chose 1 and actual work has begun, but yeah, four years is absolutely brutal.Another Covid casualty IMO

Jort December 28, 2024 (4:20 pm)

Again: what on earth is going on with Seattle Parks and Rec. This is one of the wealthiest cites on the planet. What is going on in there? Why does our city council rep, Rob Saka (“Esq.”), see these kinds of stories and think he would rather spend energy and effort on enabling illegal left turns on a street because he’s mad he didn’t get his way in a lawyer letter argument a few years ago? Why does our council rep care more about his grudges and settling scores than oversight of our obviously failing and incompetent Parks and Rec department?

Kyle December 28, 2024 (9:16 pm)

Agree with Jort here.

Avalon Guy December 28, 2024 (5:04 pm)

I heard the city needed to re bid the project because the scope increased dramatically (I believe either the city added to it, or once they got in there it got to be bigger than expected based on what they found) and the budget doubled. We were just up there playing and some of the fencing has been taken down, work looks paused.another great city project, delivered on time and on budget.

WSB December 28, 2024 (5:39 pm)

No, they did not rebid the project. As we reported, it went out to bid last December, eight firms bid, one was chosen and started work a few months later.

D December 28, 2024 (6:01 pm)

Since the building has been empty for over 4 years, was the interior ever vandalized, as empty buildings frequently are. I heard that it was trashed inside but I’ve never seen any report of it. Anyone know the facts?

Hiawatha Neighbor December 28, 2024 (7:29 pm)

I can understand how frustrating it is for so many to see such slow and delayed progress on the community center and playground. Seattle Parks and Rec is given a very small budget that they have to use for all of the parks in the city, which numbers over 400. The city council is the one that sets this budget and the parks dept has to work with what they’re given.

Blbl December 28, 2024 (8:28 pm)

The budget is there. They have money, they hired a contractor, they started the work. This isn’t about us not paying enough in taxes, this is about them completely mismanaging and wasting our money. They should ashamed.
- Kyle December 28, 2024 (9:15 pm)
  
  Agreed. Watching the mismanagement makes me angry about the parks district that can just raise taxes whenever now. Seattle Parks should be a jewel for the city. Instead they take 3x the cost and 10x the time to build anything, and most of their answers to society problems are to close the parks early or reduce access.

Azimuth December 28, 2024 (8:15 pm)

The park would be an awesome location for a public pool. Considering how long this is taking I’m not hopeful a pool would ever happen, however.

Kyle December 28, 2024 (9:13 pm)

Parks capital improvement office is unbelievable incompetent. Perhaps Saka could focus some effort here for his community?!

S. Nickels December 28, 2024 (9:34 pm)

Thank you Traci for following up on this project. Based on the call with the City a year ago, I thought they were serious when they said they would keep in touch with you. If anyone goes to the City website today for the Hiawatha stabilization Project or the Hiawatha remodel of the playground, you would find that the information was last updated in June 2024. There is no mention of any issues. When we spoke with the City the playground was to be started in Spring of 2024. This project was supposedly ready to go before COVID. Because they took so long to go to bid the regulations changed so they had to start over. Spring of 2024 has come and gone. I would hope that Councilmember Rob Saka would look into this. These projects are being funded out of money the community voted for several years ago. They now have new money and yet these two projects have not been completed. Excuses 100 – Follow Thru 0

Admiral-2009 December 28, 2024 (10:39 pm)

The Park’s Department was not always this inept, I remember 30 year’s ago when I called in a broken toy a local playground my son liked it was fixed within a week! It’s time to redirect City resources back to nuts and bolts basics: public safety and street, water, electrical and park maintenance.

flimflam December 29, 2024 (6:42 am)

I agree – it seems that basic, “simple” infrastructure projects aren’t exciting enough anymore and are but an afterthought.

James December 31, 2024 (1:07 pm)

Into my third decade in Seattle. Slowly but surely, day by day, examples of governmental incompetence and waste have done what I would have considered impossible when I first came here: made me someone very skeptical about the role of government overall.

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