Ballard Commons Park reopens Saturday following yearlong closure

Ballard Commons Park is set to reopen Saturday after being closed for over a year.

The park was swept and shut down in Dec. 2021 due to safety concerns.

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Before the sweep, the area saw more than 40 arsons and 100 calls to police in just six months.

During the closure, Seattle Parks and Recreation completed several park remediation and improvement projects, including planting trees, removing graffiti and installing new benches.

A new play area is also planned for the park, with construction expected to begin in the second half of the year.

“Ballard Commons Park’s grand reopening is our recommitment to ensure the park is truly a community commons,” Seattle Councilmember Dan Strauss said in a news release. “It is my mission to create a space in the park for every age and the ability for folks to stay, engage, and enjoy our urban park.”

The park was initially supposed to reopen last summer. The city credits the delay to the scale of the cleanup and improvements.

Together with Strauss and the Ballard Alliance, Seattle Parks and Recreation will host a two-day reopening celebration on Mar. 11 and 12 from 12 to 6 p.m.

The event will feature activities such as a youth soccer clinic, an activity fair and musical performances by local artists.

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