The City of Redmond's "Focus" magazine was recently mailed and featured a two page piece on the Downtown Park. In it they state: "The Downtown Park will be a highly visible gathering spot for our entire community". They failed to mention that there is very limited parking near the Downtown Park so it will be impossible for the ENTIRE COMMUNITY to use it.
This park costs $37,000,000 and it will be used almost entirely by the tenants nearby, not the community at large. Even Councilmember Richard Cole once said that the Downtown Park was intended for the downtown residents and not the neighborhoods.
As I recall, Steve Feilds told me the Park was designed by very expensive planners from outside our city; and if he were to have it his way he would use city planners, not outsiders. Also very few of the downtown residents were engaged in the design. Fields would engage the greater community.
But it is what it is...
By Bob Yoder
This park costs $37,000,000 and it will be used almost entirely by the tenants nearby, not the community at large. Even Councilmember Richard Cole once said that the Downtown Park was intended for the downtown residents and not the neighborhoods.
As I recall, Steve Feilds told me the Park was designed by very expensive planners from outside our city; and if he were to have it his way he would use city planners, not outsiders. Also very few of the downtown residents were engaged in the design. Fields would engage the greater community.
But it is what it is...
By Bob Yoder
Au contraire, nearby parking was a major reason for picking the downtown park site over three or four other sites presented to the City Council. The Metro Park and Ride garage is a short one to one and half block away and is not used by workday commuters when community events are held, typically evenings and weekends.
ReplyDeleteThe parking lot in the center of the park is bizarre too. It's possible that was set up for the construction workers. It's a very expensive and uninteresting postage stamp park. It can't be much more than an acre.
ReplyDeleteThere is no parking lot in the center of the parking lot, simply staging area for construction equipment for the Cleveland Street project, which is getting some finishing touches.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone realized that the nearby Metro Park and Rid is full by 7:30 by commuters and can't be used during the middle of the day? How are the rest of the area residents supposed to use it when it is full?
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