The slice of urban green set to bloom in Seattle's Little Saigon is almost ready to unfurl its leaves, with city Parks and Recreation and local community stewards, The Friends of Little Saigon, prepping for a summer ribbon-cutting jamboree. Mark your can't-miss-event calendars for June folks, when the new park, sprouting up at 1224 S. King Street, opens its gates to public revelry and respite.
But let's not sugarcoat it – it hasn't been a walk in the park for Harkness Construction, the crew behind the build. Some seriously shoddy soil conditions have hamstrung them; have pushed the timeline, demanding a heftier scoop of earth than initially thought. Nearly half again as much dirt had to be dug out. Which, as anyone with a backyard and a shovel knows, isn't exactly a two-minute task. It also called for beefed-up structural reinforcements, which is just as fun as it sounds.
According to Parkways Seattle, a hiccup hit the northwest corner, necessitating a nifty little redesign thanks to a guide wire getting in the way of progress. But no worry, the park plans to more than make up for any delays with various-sized spaces for community shindigs, decent lighting for those night crawlers, and a play area that will have the kiddos bouncing off not walls, but a resilient rubber surface.
Arts and culture aren't getting the short stick either. The Seattle Office of Arts & Culture roped in artist Kalina Chung to dream up an art piece for this Little Saigon oasis. Taking cues from the slim and stacked Vietnamese Tube Houses she grazed with her eyes on her travels to Saigon, this installation's shaping up to be a blend of the traveler's nostalgia and neighborhood homage.
The plot of the future park has been on the city's ledger since 2013, a .27-acre dedication to fresh air and a community vibe amid a dense urban jungle. And when the ribbons are cut and the first footsteps crush the grass, it's slated to be everything that recreation, play, and local events should cradle.
