Tuesday, May 18, 2021

Accessibility Improvements Planned For Laurelhurst Community Center And Park





The Seattle Park District is funding the design of accessibility improvements at Laurelhurst Community Center and Park.  

Karen witSeattle Parks and Recreation told the Laurelhurst Blog that the upcoming improvements inside the building will be updates in the kitchen and bathrooms to bring the building and site in compliance with accessible standards. Currently, there are elements in the kitchen and bathrooms and on site that do not meet current accessibility standards.

Improvements will also be in the Park which include:

  • creating compliant accessible parking and drop off areas
  • providing accessible routes from the parking to the community center, play area, and north ballfield
  • new stairs and handrails in the southeast corner of the site
  • handrails at the center east stair 

Karen said there is no work scheduled adjacent to the tennis court. 

Karen said that the project was initially identified by the Citywide Barrier Removal Schedule and was to be jointly funded by the Department of Early Learning (DEEL) and Seattle Parks and Recreation’s ADA Compliance Program. 

The DEEL provided funding in 2019 to design Pre-K classrooms at Laurelhurst and several other Community Center and "shelterhouse" sites.  In 2020 the DEEL made a decision to not move forward with construction in 2020-2021. And according to Karen, complete funding is not yet available to move forward.

Karen told the Laurelhurst Blog that the Community Center ADA Schematic Design is $109,500.00. The project is funded through design only.  Timeline, final budget and other information will be posted on the Seattle Parks website closer to construction. 

Design Construction documents are scheduled to be completed in late Spring 2021.  Once funding is available for construction a project sign will be put up and construction announcement will be made in a press release.  The earliest construction could be funded and start would be in 2022.


No comments: