Mayor's legislation meets longstanding U-District goals
Neighborhood group to acquire University Heights School,
city to locate neighborhood park

SEATTLE - Mayor Greg Nickels and City Councilmembers Sally Clark and Richard Conlin are proposing legislation that will provide funding for the University Heights Center for the Community Association (UHCCA) to acquire the former University Heights School on University Way Northeast. The package will also fund acquisition of a one-third acre section of the site for a neighborhood park.

"This legislation puts an historic building in the hands of the community, and I'm very happy that we were able to make it happen," said Nickels. "For the U-District, it's a dream made real - providing recreation, education and community services."

The agreement with UHCCA provides $2.5 million toward the purchase price of the former University Heights School. In exchange, UHCCA will provide 15 years of community center services. The Washington State Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development will provide an additional $1 million toward the purchase price.

In separate legislation, the sponsors propose spending $1.2 million from the 2000 Pro Parks Levy Opportunity Fund for the purchase of a one-third acre section of the site for a new neighborhood park. These funds will bring in an additional $1.2 million from King County Conservation Futures Tax revenues.

"University Heights is a wonderful resource for the community," said Councilmember Richard Conlin. "I am proud to have led the effort to secure Seattle's $2.5 million appropriation for the project. Many thanks to Washington House of Representatives Speaker Frank Chopp, who initiated partnership funding from the state. This is a great day for the community and a key implementation step for the University Community Neighborhood Plan."

Added Councilmember Sally Clark: "University Heights manages to be both a historic and contemporary heart for the neighborhood. With these dollars and the community's drive that heart will beat for generations."

The University Heights School served University District children from 1902 to 1989, when Seattle Public Schools declared it surplus and closed it. The Mission-revival style, two-story frame building's south and west exteriors became a city landmark in 1977. Since 1980, UHCCA has leased the building from the school district for community services, meeting spaces, and special events, and sponsorship on the grounds of the University District Farmers Market.

Seattle Parks and Recreation has worked since the 2000 passage of the Pro Parks Levy to locate a neighborhood park in the area, and will now transform the southeast corner of the site, at Northeast Fifth Street and University Way Northeast, into a park that will connect "The Ave" retail district to the historic school building and UHCCA's programs and services. Parks and UHCCA will work with the community to develop a design for the park. The Farmers Market will continue to operate on the south part of the site, taking advantage of the new park as a great new setting for displaying fresh food and flowers to the public every week.

This legislation supports other city efforts on behalf of the University District, including support for the Greater University Chamber of Commerce, the Museum Without Walls "Open to Question" exhibit, and the upcoming "Summer Streets" closure of University Way NE.

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