Update June 21

Karen O'Conner with Seattle Parks and Recreation provided an update on the status of the Morgan Junction Park. "We will have a survey up about the skate element hopefully by the end of the week.

Once the survey is complete (open for approx. 3 weeks) we will work with our design firm to add park features if applicable.  Once that is complete the design will need to go through reviews. 

Construction is not anticipated until 2025.  Please visit https://www.seattle.gov/parks/about-us/projects/morgan-junction-park-addition for updates.

Original Post Sunday June 18

The annual Morgan Junction Festival June 18 was a decidedly neighborhood gathering with folks arrayed around the small pocket park center. Live music and community booths were part of the scene, It was all in prelude to big changes coming to the site after a hiatus due to the pandemic.

Seattle Parks has had plans in place for an expansion of the park for sometime but since the site requires remediation, funding for the plans were not part of the last budget. Parks came to the festival to "take the temperature" of the neighborhood regarding changing the plans to include a skate park.

An ad hoc skate area was happening outside parks purview last year but was quickly shut down. Parks heard from the skaters and specfically from an organization called SeattleSkateParks.org that hopes to promote a real skate park on the site.

You can review their ideas here.

In short they see it happening in two phases.

PHASE 1: 2023-2024

1. Work with community, Seattle Parks and Recreation (Parks) and their on-call skatepark design contractor to refine concepts 
2. Relocate/protect irrigation and demo landscaping near Eddy Street. 
3. Grade and add 750 square feet new concrete pad on existing lawn and north end planting strip near Eddy Street 
4. Resurface existing concrete, tie into new concrete pad, then install: 
   • Bank to curb to ledge 
   • Big Boulder curb with pump bump 
   • Skateable ledge 
   • Quarter pipe 
   • Roll-in, quarter pipe hip 
   • Round flat bar 
   • Mellow half pyramid 
   • Mellow flat bank roll in 
   • Banked ledge and manny pad Other park elements to remain until phase 2

Phase 2 2024-25

1. Observe Phase 1 site use, consult with Parks on need/benefits for Phase 
2. If high demand warrants Phase 2 expansion, complete phase 2 design including grading, utilities and landscaping 
3. When new park addition available for public use, move existing non-skate uses from south to north half of park (across Eddy Street). Phase 1 skate features to remain, then:
4. Grade and demo landscaping, protect existing utilities, install stormwater drainage and on-site retention system (cisterns for new adjacent p-patch along south slope of Eddy street embankment
5. Pour new concrete pad
6. Install above ground skate features. Perimeter L-Shaped halfpipe flow section shown is one of many potential options for the Phase 2 expansion.

The new plans for the park will be shared by Seattle Parks sometime  next week according to Kelly Gould, Project Manager.