SEATTLE — Westlake Park is expected to be closed until May as the Seattle Parks Foundation and its partners demolish and rebuild the 37-year-old gathering place.
According to Seattle Parks, the renovation aims to improve guest experiences and foster human connections, create a more cohesive park space, address safety needs, replace aging infrastructure, add facilities to support park programming and lay the groundwork for future adjacent improvements.
Access will be maintained to all businesses and properties adjacent to the park during the closure. While brick and mortar businesses remain open, food truck service will be suspended during construction.
“We’re going to have a fantastic new park with improvements. The businesses are still open [so] please continue to support them so they continue to thrive,” said Rebecca Bear, president and CEO of the Seattle Parks Foundation.
Many small businesses in the area rely on office workers and transit riders who pass through. Bus service continues to operate, with stops remaining open around the construction zone.
As construction crews prepare to tear up the plaza, some local businesses are unfazed by the closure. Milu Nguyen and his co-workers will simply keep grilling hot dogs at their small stand in downtown Seattle.
“Construction is not a reason to not come here … If they want it, they can just come here,” said Nguyen, whose stand is at 4th Avenue and Pine Street.
An initial planning phase for the project began in July 2024. Construction kicked off earlier in October, which is expected to last into spring 2026.
Westlake Park sits at the center of Seattle’s downtown core and serves as a critical transit hub connecting downtown offices, residents, and tourists. The park links major regional destinations including Seattle Center via the Monorail, the Summit Convention Center, Pike Place Market, the new Seattle Waterfront Park, and the South Lake Union tech corridor.
트위터 공유: 시애틀 웨스트레이크 파크 봄까지 변신 중에도 상권 활기 유지