Rainier Beach has broken ground!
Great news!
Ground has officially been broken in Rainier Beach, and construction of Seattle’s newest skatepark is finally underway. If you’re unfamiliar with the long road that led here, you can learn more via the project website, the project Facebook page, or our past posts.
This groundbreaking marks an incredible milestone for the Rainier Beach community after more than seven years of sustained community advocacy. Community project champion Danielle Jackson of CHAMPS RSC captured it perfectly in her press release announcing the start of construction:
“The Rainier Beach skatepark represents more than recreation—it is a commitment to youth development, community well-being, and honoring the voices of historically under-resourced neighborhoods.”
Rainier Beach Skatepark is also deeply significant to Seattle’s skateboarding community at large, for a few important reasons worth calling out.
A long-awaited commitment finally realized
First, this project fulfills a key promise made almost two decades ago. In 2007, Seattle’s citywide skatepark plan designated Rainier Beach as one of two district-level skateparks, intended to fill major geographic gaps in access to public skateboarding facilities. District parks were envisioned as 10,000–30,000 sq. ft. anchors serving entire regions of the city.
At approximately 12,000 sq. ft., Rainier Beach Skatepark technically lands just over the “skatespot” threshold—but it fully meets the intent and criteria of the plan.
What makes this even more notable is that Rainier Beach is the first—and so far only—project from that plan to reach construction in the city’s southeast quadrant. The other designated sites—Genesee Playfield (now off the table due to some NIMBY push-back), Brighton Playfield, and John C. Little Park—are not currently being considered for skatepark development by Seattle Parks. Meanwhile, since the plan’s adoption in 2007, 17 other skatespots, dots, and parks have been built elsewhere in the city.
This moment deserves celebration. The southeast quadrant is finally getting a safe, accessible public space for skateboarding. The drought is ending.
And still—it’s important to be honest. This project is long overdue. The city (and yes, advocates too) fell short of the citywide plan’s original call for equitable distribution and prioritization of projects that filled the biggest gaps first. We all could have done better getting this built sooner.
A new chapter in Seattle skatepark design
The second major milestone? Rainier Beach Skatepark will be Seattle’s first park designed and built by Evergreen Skateparks.
If you skate, you probably already know why that’s exciting—but for those who don’t: most of Seattle’s existing parks were designed by two excellent firms, New Line and Grindline, with occasional one-offs by Pillar, Wally Hollyday, and California Skateparks. When it comes to construction, Seattle is very much a Grindline town, with 12 of the city’s 17 projects shaped by their legendary crews (RIP TF Sahli).
At a time when advocates were just trying to convince the city to build any skateparks, having Grindline in town was an absolute gift. They’ve helped create a system that Seattle can be genuinely proud of—and they’ll always be the hometown heroes.
But as Seattle’s skatepark system grew, the global skatepark design-build world evolved too. New voices emerged, bringing new approaches. Evergreen is one of those innovators, known for their multi-blend, moonscape-style designs that skate like infinite flow puzzles—highly accessible for newer skaters while still offering plenty of challenge for the rippers.
As advocates stepped back to look at the system as a whole, the gaps became clear:
we needed more terrain in the southeast, more street plazas—and honestly, wouldn’t it be great to mix in some Evergreen flavor?
Now we are.
What’s next
Rainier Beach Skatepark is on track to open this summer, so keep an eye out for opening-day announcements. Until then, say hello to the Evergreen crew as they roll through town on their off hours—they’ve already been spotted at Marginal, Delridge, River City, Judkins, and even checking out some of their own work up in Lake Stevens.
Here’s hoping that the opening of Rainier Beach Skatepark sparks a new wave of momentum for more skateable terrain in Seattle’s southeast quadrant.
And one more thing—did you know that Rainier Beach Skatepark is being built with footings for a future roof, and that the roof design is already permitted?
It’s true!
Watch this space for more information on how interested community members can help make Rainier Beach Seattle’s first covered public skatepark.
