Lowman Beach Park, at 7017 Beach Drive SW has grown in popularity over the last few years was overdue for a makeover. Seattle Parks chose to reimagine the park and after a series of public meetings its under used Depression era tennis court, and broken seawall were removed and Pelly Creek, long confined to a pipe for outflow was day lighted. 

Those accomplishments were celebrated on Saturday Sept.24 with a grand reopening celebration.

In attendance were Ken Workman 5th Generation great grandson of Chief Sealth, Parks Acting Superintendent Christopher Williams, Deputy Mayor Greg Wong, and Kathryn Gardow, board member of the Washington State Conservation and Recreation Office. Council member Lisa Herbold who worked on getting the project completed was unable to attend due to a family matter.

Workman noted that the Duwamish Tribe name for that spot was roughly "Gwal" which translated means "Capsize" and since it's a spot where many paddleboarders come, it seemed appropriate to mention that and urging those people to "make sure you come back to shore."

Dep. Mayor Greg Wong said, "What really sets us apart as a city is this. We cannot recreate what the world gives us."

Chris Williams who grew up in West Seattle said, "Coming to this park is like a mini vacation every day."

He acknowledged the neighbors noting that they've gone through a lot of construction and thanked them for their patience.

He also pointed out that CM Herbold had a complete grasp of all the facts and details on the project and thanked for her hard work

A frequent request about the park concerns restrooms and Williams when asked about providing a "honey bucket" style toilet might be  possible said he would look into it.

Gardow explained how projects like this get funded and explained that it's a very "citizen involved" process and urged people to join these boards and take part.

Funding for the feasibility study and design of the project came from State and local grants: $400,000 from the King County Flood Control District's Cooperative Watershed Management Fund (CWM) in two grants and $200,000 from the State's Salmon Recovery Funding Board. We received an additional $450,000 from King County's CWM Fund and $500,000 from the State's Aquatic Lands Enhancement Account to fund the construction of the project.

Also on hand for the event were Greg Whittaker and Alki Kayak, and Beach Naturalist from the Seattle Aquarium.