SeaSk8 meeting announced

Update: download the flyer and help get the word out.

This just in from SPAC chair, Ryan Barth:

Two weeks ago, the Seattle Center staff presented the City Council with their feasibility level summary for the SeaSk8 replacement skatepark. The summary included costs for both the demolition of “Pavilion A” only and the demolition of “Pavilion A” and “B”. It turns out the demolition budget for both options exceeded the allotted amount provided by the City Council.

Seattle Center indicated that the driver of the costs is the need to protect and keep in operation during and after construction the critical below-ground building elements that support Key Arena. The Seattle Center also hired a consultant to conduct a Seattle Center Event Relocation Analysis regarding the impacts, potential solutions, and costs for relocating events that use the Pavilions. The most affected users are the major festivals, notably Bumbershoot and The Bite of Seattle.

The estimated relocation costs for the “A-only” option, which leaves Pavilion B and some portion of the courtyard for festival use, was much cheaper than the “A + B” option. The SPAC was concerned with the elevated demo and impact costs so we met with the City Councilmember Richard Conlin to get a pulse on the City Council’s thinking on the proposal. He hinted that they would be able to find money for the “A-only” option but the cost for the “A+B” was too extreme. We told him that Option A provides enough square footage for the replacement park (~10,000 sf) but provides little to no extra space to integrate surrounding passive, green space which we feel would increase the benefits of the park significantly. We also indicated that Pavilion B is currently set up as a perfect skateable indoor space and we will push for use of this space to the extent possible.

Fast forward to today. I just heard from the Seattle Center that the City Council has given them a verbal indication that the money will be made available for the “A-only” option. With City Council elections happening next week, the elections the final approval will likely not occur for several more weeks. Rather than waiting for this approval, the Seattle Center has decided to proceed with the planning process for the “A-only” proposal. The first step in this process is a public meeting that will allow anyone and everyone to come out and make comments about the skatepark, which is required under the required SEPA environmental review process. The meeting is on November 15 at 6:30pm in the Seattle Center 3rd Floor Center House Conference Room A – please pass this information on to anyone and everyone. This is not a meeting regarding design – that will come later and will involve a design selection committee with direct SPAC/skater involvement. This is the first meeting for the skatepark and it should be assumed that skatepark opponents will likely show up in force to lobby against it. Therefore, IT IS NECESSARY THAT WE PACK THIS MEETING TO THE FULLEST WITH SKATERS to continue to show that we are indeed 20,000 deep in Seattle, and that we need more skateparks. This is very recent news so I am still unclear on the meeting format and what the agenda will be. Seattle Center will be forwarding that for the SPAC’s review shortly and I will route it around so you know what to expect.

There will likely be decision-makers in the room so keeping your comments positive and emphasizing the need for more well-designed and constructed skateparks will go a long way toward making the progression to the design process smooth.

Don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.

-Ryan