Three Ballard-area parks are having some major upgrades done – Golden Gardens, which we wrote about last week, Ross Playground (4320 4th Ave NW) and Kirke Park (7028 9th Ave NW).
Construction started Wednesday morning on the Ross Playground improvements. Crews have already torn down the 1980s-era equipment to make way for some new, improved equipment and site furnishings. The park was designed with help from the public and should better utilize the space, Kelly Goold with the Parks Department tells us. Construction should be wrapped up in August. Click here for more information on the park and design. If you’re looking for a nearby park, the closest play area is Gilman Playground (923 NW 54th St.)
Work has stalled at Kirke Park while the Parks Department waits for a permit from the Department of Planning and Development, Goold tells us. He said the Parks Department is sometimes exempt from certain permits, which they thought was the case here. The DPD interpreted the rule differently and is requiring a grading permit. Goold says the process doesn’t change the design of the park, “it’s just a little bit of a delay,” he says. Once the permit is in hand, the Parks Department will put the park out to bid. The construction on the park will begin probably late summer/early fall, depending on input from neighbors.
In the meantime, neighbors had complained to the city about the large bushes that were closing in this former structure, so the vegetation was cut down to improve the sight line, Goold tells us.
All three projects are funded by the Parks and Green Spaces Levy.