Modernize aquatic centers, enhance parks, restore river corridors, expand access to outdoor recreation: Executive Braddock announces $31 million in King County Parks Levy grant funding

Here are a few the 56 projects that would receive funding under Executive Braddock’s proposal:

• City- and school-operated aquatic centers in Tukwila, Seattle, White Center, Kirkland, Bellevue, Covington, Enumclaw, Des Moines, and Vashon would receive a combined $15.9 million in funding. In addition to improving accessibility, the nine projects would replace aging electrical and HVAC systems, install new family changing rooms, windows, and ceilings, and improve safety features. 
• A combined $10 million would support the expansion and reimagining of Seattle’s Evans Pool in Green Lake Park and Tukwila Pool adjacent to Foster High School. Both of these projects would transform their facilities into accessible, efficient aquatic facilities with two purpose-built pools for lap swimming and recreational use. 
• Tukwila Parks and Recreation would improve access and interactive opportunities with the Duwamish River for residents by developing a riverside campus that features a canoe launch, riverside boardwalk, ADA-accessible river overlook tower, and ecological and accessibility improvements to the trail loop located at the Tukwila Community Center. 
• The City of Kent would install its first spray park in downtown with features that include restrooms, accessible children’s play area, loop trails, plaza space, and landscaping improvements at Uplands Playfield and Spray Park.
• The City of Seattle would build a universally accessible playground, spray park, and restrooms at Judkins Park and Playground, expanding on their success in inclusive design at Pathways Park. They will also build a new play area at Dr. Jose Rizal Park in Beacon Hill to meet growing demand for safe, healthy park spaces after the opening of nearby affordable housing and a childcare facility.
• The Fall City Metropolitan Park District would complete its West Side Trail that safely connects schools, residential areas, and downtown businesses with accessible motorized and non-motorized options.
• The City of Federal Way would replace the aging artificial turf field and failing track at Sacajawea Track and Field, improving safety and performance.
• The City of Tukwila would build a public trail that connects Duwamish Gardens and Chinook Wind, a dilapidated hotel that the King County Water and Land Resources Division transformed into an estuary along the Duwamish River. 
• The City of Kenmore would acquire a 12.4-acre parcel of property on the Sammamish River adjacent to the 42-acre ƛ̕ax̌ʷadis Park, pronounced “Tl' awh-ah-dees.” The project would secure public access to an additional 600 feet of the Sammamish River in perpetuity.
• EarthCorps’ young adults Corps Members would work with local high school students and neighbors to restore 27 acres at eight locations along the Green-Duwamish River in Tukwila.  
• Whale Scout would work with the neighboring community to restore a key section of the Sammamish River at the former Wayne Golf Course in Bothell with a diverse team that includes high school and college students. 
• The Snoqualmie Indian Tribe would build on the progress it has made to restore native prairie that once flourished on the Snoqualmie River floodplain above Snoqualmie Falls. 
• After-School All-Stars Puget Sound would provide out-of-school creative and wellness programs four days per week at middle schools in Kent, Tukwila, and Federal Way. Programs include sports, yoga, dance, cooking, martial arts, skateboarding, and arts, available to young people of all skills and incomes. 
• Youth Experiential Training Institute, or Y.E.T.I., would sustain nine active outdoor clubs in the Highline and Tukwila school districts and outdoor recreation trips organized with community partners. The organization would organize 300 outdoor recreation trips that improve physical and mental health for more than 700 students, mostly low-income immigrant and young people of color between the ages of 12 and 20 in South King County. 
• Needs Of The Community Society would increase adaptive recreational opportunities for young adults with disabilities by providing peer-oriented, inclusive weekend camps through its flagship program, Camp Without Borders, further addressing social, emotional, and physical isolation for those with disabilities.

The King County Parks Levy is a six-year property tax that funds one of the nation’s largest metropolitan park agencies, stewarding 220 parks, 185 miles of regional trails, 275 miles of backcountry trails, and 32,000 acres of open space.

Increasing access to sports, play, and outdoor recreation

In addition to Executive Braddock’s proposed package, King County Parks announced a combined $3.6 million for Youth and Amateur Sports Grants, funded by a car rental tax. The competitive grants support fit and healthy communities by investing in programs and capital facility projects that increase access to sports, play, and outdoor recreation. 

A few of the 27 projects that will receive funding include:

• The Seattle Parks and Recreation’s 40-acre Red Barn Ranch, located southeast of Auburn, is a regional asset that expands outdoor recreation, restores critical habitats, and increases equitable access to nature for Seattle and South King County youth, particularly BIPOC youth. The funding will support capital improvements that strengthen and sustain long-term programmatic partnerships with schools and community organizations.
• East African Community Services' SeaTac Multisport Hub will be a vibrant youth-centered sports and fitness space featuring soccer, basketball, volleyball, and movement science. This project would serve more than 500 youth annually in South King County, promoting health, teamwork, and safe recreational access in a culturally rooted environment.
• The City of Des Moines will improve Midway Park by adding new sport and recreation amenities that include new play structures, pickleball courts, and a loop trail. It will also improve access with new ADA-accessible paths and additional lighting.
• Rainier Prep will increase equitable access to high-quality team sports for BIPOC and limited-income students in South King County by investing in the coaching capacity of teachers and community partners. The project would increase team sports participation from 80 to 180 students by 2027. 

King County Parks is a division of the Department of Natural Resources and Parks.

Multimedia

• STORYMAP: Examples of projects funded by the King County Parks Levy
• TRACKS: An interactive map of environmental stewardship in King County

Resources

• King County Parks Levy
• Community grants funded by King County Parks Levy

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