Lakeridge Playfield and Playground Renovation
Updated: August 30, 2022
Celebrate Lakeridge Playfield & Play Area
Thank you to everyone who came out to celebrate the completion of this project on August 13.
We had a fun day and want to thank Brad Evans, Sounders FC Brand Ambassador, the RAVE Foundation, Seattle Youth Soccer Association, Seattle United, the Seattle Metro Pickleball Association, Baseball Beyond Borders and Rainier Little League! Most of all we want to thank the community for coming out and for your continued stewardship of this park!
Summer 2022
Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR) is happy to announce most elements of the Lakeridge Playground renovation project are complete. The new play area is open. It features slides, swings, climbing opportunities, and play structures. Also open are the multi-sports court (futsal/basketball) and pickleball courts. The final color surface coating and new permanent striping was applied to the courts in May.
The fencing remaining around the playfield to allow for the new grass to establish is scheduled to be removed the second week of July. We anticipate opening the comfort station later this summer. SPR is finalizing a community celebration with project partners later this summer.
Summer 2021
The project design is complete. Accessibility improvements to the comfort station have been added to the project and pickleball courts are replacing the tennis court. SPR awarded the construction contract to A-1 Landscaping for the Lakeridge Playfield and Playground renovation project. They started work in June and the entire park will be closed during the renovation through November. Here's the completed design overall view of the new play area.
In June 2019 approximately 150 people from the community joined Seattle Parks and Recreation for a fun time at Lakeridge Playfield to learn more about the park improvement project. We gathered valuable input from the community. Please view the presentation from the event below.
Thank you to Seattle Parks and Recreation's Community Engagement Ambassadors for their outreach efforts and support in making the event successful. A special thanks to Rainier Beach High School Soccer, Rainier District Little League, and pickleball proponents for help making the event fun.
Seattle Public Utilities Project
Another ongoing City project is located along the western boundary and includes portions of Lakeridge Park (Dead Horse Canyon), Rainier Avenue South, and properties along Lake Washington. This adjacent project is led by Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) and will improve stormwater management and restore habitat along Taylor Creek. To learn more about SPU's Lower Taylor Creek Replacement Project, please visit the project webpage or see the project sign that is situated at the northwest corner of the park, along Rainier Avenue South.
For questions about this Seattle Public Utilities project please contact:
Cody Nelson at Cody.Nelson@seattle.gov or (206) 684-3066
Location
Lakeridge Playfield, 10145 Rainier Avenue S, 98178
Budget
The Seattle Parks District Major Maintenance provides $1,799,555 for this project.
Additional funding became available, and this project grew to include priorities for the community such as the renovated comfort station, a loop pathway, accessible play area surfacing and roofs for the baseball dugouts. The project is a collaboration of private and public funding. The Seattle Park District funded the original base project. RAVE Foundation, the official charitable arm of Seattle Sounders FC, in partnership with Seattle United and Seattle Youth Soccer Association, is contributing funding for the futsal (soccer) and basketball court and will provide free programming to community youth starting next summer. The Laurelhurst Pickleball Group through the Seattle Metro Pickleball Association contributed funding for the pickleball courts. The project was also the recipient of a King County Youth Sports Grant.
Schedule
Planning & Design: Early 2020 - Fall 2020
Bidding: Spring 2021
Construction: Spring - Fall 2021
Completion of Playfield and Playground: Summer 2022
Project Description
This project includes renovation of the play area with new play equipment, new ballfield grass turf, irrigation and drainage renovation, basketball court resurfacing, replacement of tennis court with new pickleball courts, retaining wall replacement, and access improvements to meet Americans with Disabilities (ADA) standards. Additionally, accessibility improvements to the comfort station have been added to the project.
During construction the contractor will need to close the park. Seattle Parks and Recreation and the contractor hired for the project will work to minimize impact to the neighborhood.
Community Participation
First Online Survey - We received nearly 350 responses and the results are helping guide the design of the park improvements.
You can view the first online survey results here.
On April 20, 2019 the Rainier Beach community came to a town hall gathering to learn more about the Lakeridge Playground Improvements project and other projects in the Rainier Beach area.
Download the 3/6/19 & 6/8/19 meetings poster
Public Meeting 3/6/2019
Public Meeting 6/8/2019