The sun peeked through on an otherwise cloudy summer solstice just as the celebration began for the completed renovation of Waterway 18, which affords public access to Lake Union.
The green space is a small oasis among the light industry of the lake’s edge, a short walk east of Gas Works Park. Before its restoration, the area was somewhat hidden and often used for illicit activities. (See “before” image below.)
Lisa Carroll, chair of the neighborhood group Friends of Waterway 18, commented at the celebration that the area is one of the last remaining natural beaches on Lake Union. Enhancements, she said, included improved access, restored natural habitat and improved conditions for salmon and other native aquatic species.
The Seattle Parks Foundation and Friends of Waterway 18 worked for three years with state and local agencies, community groups and local businesses to restore the area. More than a dozen organizations partnered on this project, which cost $200,000.
City councilmember Sally Bagshaw, chair of the Parks and Seattle Center Committee, addressed the few dozen people at the event. She said that the collaborative effort to restore Waterway 18 — a parcel owned by the Washington State Department of Natural Resources, and the Seattle Department of Transportation — was an example of how “we’re going to take back our city.”
For more information see the Seattle Parks Foundation’s site.
