Seattle Parks & Rec Major Project Challenge Fund Outreach – through Mar 30

Do you have an idea for a renovation, expansion, or upgrade to a park or park facility in your neighborhood?  Funded through a combination of City and community-generated funds Racial Equity Outcome(s): the SPR challenge fund was tasked to develop a fair and equitable criteria resulting in the implementation of an inclusive process that ensures historically underserved and underrepresented communities will have opportunities to access this fund.

Current Situation: The City is often asked to provide financial support to capital development or improvement projects that focus on parks and recreation, for which there is little or no City funding available, and interested communities don’t have enough funding to cover the total cost of the project.

Solution: The Challenge Fund can provide City funding to leverage community-generated funding for renovation of parks and park facilities where other City funding is unavailable. An annual competitive application process will prioritize projects with a parks and recreation mission, public access, leveraged non-City funds, and other pertinent criteria. A portion of funding will be allocated to assist diverse communities and organizations that lack resources for a match.

Outreach for community ideas is happening from now until March 30, 2018.  For more information contact David Graves, Strategic Advisor, david.graves@seattle.gov. OR if you have an idea and would like a mentor through this process, contact our friends at Groundswell NW:  groundswellnw@gmail.com.