Phase 1 of the Duwamish Riverbend Hill Project in Tukwila is steadily underway, according to Nate Cormier, senior landscape design architect for SvR Design Company.

Cormier presented the status of the project to the Tukwila City Council on Oct. 6.

The City of Tukwila, Cascade Land Conservancy, and citizen group Friends of the Hill formulated the Duwamish Riverbend Hill Project in 2001. Its purpose is to preserve a 10-acre parcel of land along the Duwamish River near Tukwila Community Center.

"There is great topography," said Cormier about the piece of undeveloped land.

The area is the location described in the original play "Poverty Hill," performed by the drama class at Foster High School and is a known site for Native American artifacts, most of which have been picked up over the years.

The land was acquired for the project in 2004. So far, according to Cormier, they have been working with the land's natural formations to construct the park.

"There are informal trails that have already been trekked out," said Cormier.

People have been hiking around the area for decades, and so the trails formed by them will be maintained by the project, so the natural areas around them can be as less disturbed as possible.

"We want to keep a very light footprint," said Cormier. The project will be done using the native plants for the landscape.

Also, Sound Transit, according to Cormier, used the space for a while, and so there are some gravel roads already in place that may be used in the project.

Bruce Fletcher, director of parks and recreation for Tukwila, said they have raised about $1.6 million for the project, mostly through grants.

Uses for the park once it is completed will include an outdoor classroom for students of the city and other places to come and learn about the Native American culture who existed there before. Through a series of storytelling benches, native tales such as "The Epic of the Winds" will be told, as well.

Phase 1 of the park is scheduled to open in spring 2009.

For more information about the park visit www.duwamishhill.org.