By Tammy Chang, UW News Lab

Parents, children and community members gathered at Crown Hill Park on Holman Road and 13th Avenue N.W. on Saturday afternoon to celebrate the reopening of the park, which closed last August for construction.

The event featured family fun activities such as a skateboard clinic by Skate-Like-a-Girl, hotdogs, light refreshments, a bounce house, tricycle race and many others.

The new park features a renovated ball field, open lawn area, a skateboard mini-ramp, play equipment, a main pathway throughout the park and landscaping.

Some fencing will remain up through the spring to allow the grass to establish. 

Seattle Parks and Recreation announced its renovation project for the park in 2005 but those plane were but on hold when Seattle Public Schools, which owned the land, decided to sell it.

With help from the Small Faces Child Development Center and funding from the 2000 ProParks Levy, the Seattle Parks bought the property in 2008 and revisited the renovation project.

A series of public meetings reflecting community input on the park design then followed and construction finally began in August of last year with a project budget of $1.2 million.

According to Kim Baldwin, project manager for Parks, the most desirable park element was open green spaces. People wanted as much green space as possible for quiet activities in addition to other uses.

A new skateboarding area also received positive responses from community members. Approximately $55,000 was designated for the 1,500-square-foot skate dot, which was designed by the Pillar Designs Studio.

“I can finally play in the new park!” stated 9-year-old David. “I can’t wait to learn how to skate and try out all the new [play in the park.”

For more information about the project, visit the park website at http://www.seattle.gov/parks/projects/crown_hill/ or contact project manager Kim Baldwin at kim.baldwin@seattle.gov/