Ballard Corners Park, in the planning process for years, is one step closer to becoming reality with construction firms turning in their bids by May 28 and work possibly starting in late June.

The park will revitalize the intersection of Northwest 62nd Street and 17th Avenue Northwest. The engineer's estimate for the work on the base elements of the park is $108,000. The total cost of the project is $400,000.

Base elements include: erosion control; selective clearing; importing fill material; curbing; a new automatic irrigation system; trees, shrubs and ground covers; and other work.

"People are enthusiastic about the whole thing," said David Fulwiller, co-chair of Friends of Ballard Corners Park.

The site is 37,000 square feet and will have some unique features.

An entry way will designed to resemble Boudin's Grocery store which once stood on the property. It will have swivel seats at a recreation of a counter, historic photographs and tiles with the name of donors. The store operated on this block from the early 1900s to the 1950s.

A rain garden is another key feature. This "bio-retention area" filters storm water runoff, which is stored in groundwater.

The park will have a unique "living room at the southwest corner, with a bench and easy chair made of concrete.

Ballard Corners Park also includes: a community garden; children's play area with a climbing structure; a large open lawn; and a meandering sidewalk.

One of the bordering streets, 17th Avenue Northwest, is now 30 feet wide and will be reduced to 25 feet in width when construction is done. The idea for changing the street is to slow down traffic, because kids will be playing nearby.

The city's Pro Parks Levy enabled the purchase of the site for $3 million. The park is the largest property secured for open space since Ballard Commons Park opened in 2005.

Groundswell NW worked on acquiring the property and over a dozen other parks and open space in Ballard over the years.

Visit http://www.ballardcornerspark.org.