Published June 29 2017
City of Bellevue representatives joined the Bellevue Rotary, civic leaders and the community at Bellevue Downtown Park on Wednesday to celebrate completion of the highly-anticipated last segment of the circular promenade and a new play area for children of all abilities. The 21-acre Downtown Park is located at 10201 NE Fourth St.
More than 30 years after the promenade was designed for Bellevue’s iconic park, the gathering marked the closure of the “Complete the Circle” project, part of a 2008 voter-approved parks levy. Bellevue finished the promenade plus additional components of the 1984 Downtown Park master plan, including a water feature and a grand southern entrance.
“Completing this work brings us full circle — literally and figuratively — with what once started as a dream for a world-class park downtown,” said Mayor John Stokes. “We’re here today to celebrate the completion of a 35-year vision for the park, the new universally accessible Inspiration Playground for kids of all abilities and the courageous commitment behind these visions.”
Key elements of “Complete the Circle” project include:
- Completion of the circular canal and tree-lined promenade;
- Creation of a grand entrance and water feature at the south end of the park;
- Terraced seating, stairways and accessible paths; and
- Closing the parking area off Northeast Second Street and expanding the lot off 100th Avenue Northeast.
The expanded play area has been transformed into the “Inspiration Playground” through a partnership with the Bellevue Rotary.
“Offering opportunities for people of all ages and abilities to socialize and play provides exercise and unstructured fun while building understanding and acceptance,” said Rob Rose, Rotary co-chair of Inspiration Playground.
“The playground removes obstacles to participation, creates a place for everybody and taps into the power of shared experience,” noted Pat Naselow, Rotary co-chair of Inspiration Playground.
The new Inspiration Playground has interactive features that engage the senses, including sculptures that encourage touching and climbing, and an interactive music plaza allowing users to create and respond to sound. A central “Wisdom Plaza” features a fanciful tree sculpture that inspires imaginative play.
For the ribbon-cutting, local, regional and state officials joined the Bellevue Rotary and past civic leaders who spearheaded the vision for the park’s creation. The community celebration for “Completing the Circle” and Inspiration Playground was held on the new plaza near the park’s south entrance
Bellevue bought most of what is now Downtown Park from the school district in 1983. An international design competition the following year yielded a plan that included a circular path and canal. Two phases of construction were completed by 1990 but the well-used promenade was still only three quarters of a circle, with a pie-shaped wedge on the southeast corner.
The budget for the Complete the Circle project is $20 million. Inspiration Playground, which cost $4.5 million, was paid for through a fundraising campaign by the Bellevue Rotary and grants.
Downtown Park is now central to Bellevue’s identity and plays a pivotal role in making downtown an appealing place for residents, employees and visitors. Bellevue has more than 100 parks and trails.