Seattle needs to buck up and do what big cities do

Seattle needs to start taking more chances if it wants to grow up.

An architect’s proposal to build a two-mile park above I-5 near the Washington State Convention Center might seem a little outrageous, but KIRO Radio’s Ron Upshaw says it’s those kinds of ideas that separate big-time cities from run-of-the-mill locations.

“I feel like Seattle is becoming a world-class city, but it thinks of itself as a smaller town,” Ron explained.

Major projects, like the Seattle tunnel, are what the city needs to grow.

“This is the cost of doing business, to take it to the next level,” Ron continued. The city may take on projects that, at times, seem too expensive or aren’t worthwhile, but that’s just part of the game.

The proposal by Chris Patano would include a 45-acre park that would connect Capitol Hill and South Lake Union. It would reduce the separation caused by I-5, while adding greenspace and possibly other amenities.

Patano’s park falls into a similar category as a new sports arena, 710 ESPN Seattle’s Mike Salk says. Though an arena might be a little more feasible, it would add value to the city.

“This makes a lot of sense to me,” Salk said of a park that connects communities together in a city that is very neighborhood-oriented. “Highways do divide cities.”

However, Salk said he isn’t convinced the park proposal would work.

People should listen to Patano, Ron says. The idea of being able to walk from Capitol Hill to South Lake Union and beyond, thanks to a park, would be appealing to many.

“We are becoming an international city of consequence,” he said. “And I want us to behave like that. World-class cities do things like this.”

It’s a good argument, but might be tough for residents to embrace, especially with problems surrounding the tunnel and, more recently, the announcement that the seawall project is over budget.