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Sunshine and birdsong accompanied a “sneak peek” of updates to Veterans Memorial Park on Thursday. City, regional and federal officials and media gathered for remarks, a ribbon cutting, a tour of the enhancements and a reception at City Hall.
Updated trails, improved amenities, thoughtful tree thinning and generous new plantings create a more inviting and light-filled environment for park-goers. The pathways will provide important links to the Civic Center and Town Center, with a primary trail that is ADA-accessible.
A much-craved connection point to the Transit Center is still in the works. “We have just gone to bid this week for the other phase of the project: The construction of a new pedestrian plaza adjacent to the Transit Center along 236th Street Southwest and Van Ry Boulevard,” Recreation and Parks Director Jeff Betz said.
Funding for the improvements came from many sources, including $2 million in federal funds secured by U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen, $2.5 million from Sound Transit and a $577,581 federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program grant awarded by the Puget Sound Regional Council.
The park is not yet open to the public, said Betz. The City anticipates it to open by June, after which there will be a public celebration.
I understand Veterans Park is not open to the public, the citizens of MLT and most of important to Veterans due to an ADA construction compliance issue the city has with its contractor. What steps are being taken to ensure the ADA compliance issues will be resolved in a timely manner and what assurances can you provide that the park will be accessible to all users by June 2026 as you state in this article?