Park CommUNITY Fund
Updated: December 3, 2024
Fall 2024
Thank you to the over 2,900 people who participated in our Project Selection Process! We are happy to announce that $4,250,000 has been allocated to 15 projects. We anticipate starting the project planning in January 2025 and will provide a status on all projects by Spring 2025. Learn more about the project descriptions here.
Central:
| Funding Amount | Project |
| $150,000 | Exercise Equipment Replacement at Hing Hay |
| $10,000 | Water Bottle Refilling Station at Garfield Teen Life Center |
| $400,000 | Access Improvements and Plan for Denny Blaine Park |
| $700,000 | Black Legacy Community Parks Master Plan in the Central District |
North:
| $40,000 | Bathroom Study in NE Seattle parks |
| $100,000 | Outdoor Cultural Space at Green Lake Community Center |
| $100,000 | Community Gathering Improvements at Haller Lake Street End |
| $1,075,000 | Access Improvements at Daybreak Star Indian Cultural Center |
South:
| $120,000 | Art Installations and Signage at Hutchinson Playground |
| $50,000 | Spray Park Feasibility Study in Rainier Beach |
| $40,000 | Kids Basketball Hoops at SE parks |
| $1,125,000 | Covered and Lit Basketball Courts at Be’er Sheva Park |
West:
| $150,000 | Covered Shelter Area at Roxhill Park |
| $150,000 | Duwamish Art & Signage at Herrings House Park |
| $150,000 | Outdoor exercise equipment in South Park |
Program Overview
The Park CommUNITY Fund advances park equity in Seattle through a community-led funding process. The fund invests in large and small capital projects using participatory budgeting and equitable grant-making practices. Seattle Park District has allocated $14.8 million to the Park CommUNITY Fund for investment in Seattle communities between 2023 and 2028.
Pilot Cycle
Program Planning/Design
During the summer of 2022, program staff were hired to conduct early engagement with City of Seattle staff, partners, and frontline community groups to gain feedback about SPR’s park development process and how best to develop a new community-centered funding program.
Using lessons learned through this engagement work, program staff developed a 4-stage pilot cycle that launched in 2024. The pilot cycle will test the initial program framework to ensure it meets the department’s vision for the program to create partnerships with communities and continue investment in parks and park facilities in neighborhoods with a history of racial disparities in access to green space and safety from environmental harm.
Project Selection
In 2024 Frontline communities worked alongside Seattle Park and Recreation (SPR) staff through a Project Selection process, which included three phases. The next round of Project Selection will start in 2026.
- Idea Collection: Community members submit ideas for improvements in-person or online.
- Project Development: Ideas are developed into proposals, reviewed for priority, and narrowed to a small list of finalists.
- Final Selection: Finalists undergo a three-part selection process to determine awarded projects, including community selection, selection by the Board of Park and Recreation Commissioners, and Superintendent final approval.
Project Implementation
SPR planners and project managers will follow SPR’s park development process to implement the selected projects. No grants are given to community for the projects. There is a reserve of $200k for Capacity Awards to support community engagement on the selected projects.
Evaluation Workshop
Following Project Selection, the program will conduct an Evaluation and Workshop series with communities to gain feedback on improving the program, creating a more equitable park development process, and creating a space for Frontline communities to share/build resources.
