Be'er Sheva Park Improvements

Summer 2023

Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR) and our partners Rainier Link2Lake and Seattle Parks Foundation are happy to announce construction for the Be’er Sheva Park Upland Improvements started in June 2023.

The Rainier Beach Link2Lake (RBL2L) Steering Committee is seeking emerging Coast Salish artist(s) to create a two-dimensional public art piece that highlights cultural, historical, and ecological significance of the area now referred to as Be’er Sheva Park in south Seattle.

The public art piece is a 24”x36” illustrated panel to be located on the new beachfront along the southern shores of Lake Washington at Be’er Sheva Park. Our goals are two-fold:

1. to feature and elevate Indigenous voices that carry ancestral and contemporary connections and understanding of the cultural, historical, and ecological significance of this place; and
2. to help visitors situate themselves in the landscape by encouraging exploration and connection with Indigenous communities that continue to steward the land and waters across our region.

RBL2L Steering Committee was given a generous donation from the Norcliffe Foundation to create this work.

Compensation
The artist (or collective) selected for the commission will receive a stipend of $7,000. Learn more

The construction is anticipated to run through the end of 2023. The contractor, Wyser Construction will mobilize in the park and a large portion of the park will be closed during construction.

Closures include:

• basketball court
• comfort station/restroom
• park area on the side of Mapes Creek and shoreline access
• a portion of the Atlantic City Boat Ramp parking lot

SPR and Wyser Construction will work to minimize the impact of construction on the neighborhood. The play area will remain open.

We co-hosted an event on April 1 to provide the community with an update on the park renovation plan and construction impacts. Thank you to everyone who attended and collaborated on the community art piece for the future park.  

Rainier Beach’s 2012 Neighborhood plan surfaced a vision of a civic and commercial core that connects Rainier Beach Link Station to the shores of Lake Washington at Be’er Sheva Park. The Rainier Beach Link2Lake (RBL2L) Steering Committee was formed in 2016 to engage the community in realizing this vision, starting with Be’er Sheva Park improvements.

From 2017-2019 RBL2L facilitated a robust community engagement process to design and voice their vision for Be’er Sheva Park. Community design parties at community centers along with a dozen other events and online surveys provided ample space for the community to shape the park’s future. Through this inclusive and collaborative process, the Rainier Beach community finalized a design that includes improved waterfront access, an outdoor stage, safety features such as lighting along pedestrian walkways and in the parking lot, and basic amenities including grills, picnic tables, and seating. It is a vision that truly reflects the dreams, wishes, and needs of one of Seattle’s most diverse communities.

SiteWorkshop helped develop the schematic design and construction documents for each of the projects: Be’er Sheva Park In-Water & Be’er Sheva Park Upland. Seattle Parks and Recreation is supporting the community by managing the design, construction documentation, permitting, bidding, and phased construction. The design and project construction is a multi-phased approach. The first phase included a comfort station mural which was completed in June 2021 by youth, young adults, and community members.