Freeway Park
Dedicated on July 4, 1976, Seattle's Freeway Park was the realization of years of public and private efforts to create an innovative new green space in the city's downtown core that would also reconnect neighborhoods separated by the construction of I-5 in the 1960s. It was the first ever park to be built above a freeway, using a "lid" as a base to span across lanes of interstate traffic. Planning and building the park was a massive, complex project that required the close cooperation of city, state, federal, and private agencies. Today, the park continues to be one of Seattle's most iconic public spaces.
Planning for a Freeway
"Every driver who uses Seattle's streets is aware of the congestion, loss time and accident hazard inherent in the tremendous number of private automobiles on inadequate streets. Seattle now recognizes, along with all other great American cities, that the best known way our present (to say nothing of our future) volumes of traffic can be handled is on limited-access freeways." - Seattle Planning Commission, Planning for Thoroughfares: Central Freeway, 1957.
As the automobile became more popular during the first half of the twentieth century, Seattle's street infrastructure struggled to support the ever-increasing number of cars on the road. In addition to frequent congestion, safety was a growing concern. Seattle recorded 121 fatalities due to car accidents in 1934, giving it the highest rate of death among other U.S. cities of similar size that year. Traffic flow maps and studies created by the city's Traffic Engineering Division document how the number of vehicles on city streets continued to grow and pose challenges to drivers, passengers, and pedestrians.
Image 8292, Seattle Municipal Archives
Box 27, Folder 3, Record Series 5801-01,
Seattle Municipal Archives
In the 1940s, Seattle's traffic engineers began working with the Washington State Department of Highways and the U.S. Public Roads Administration to develop plans for a new north-south expressway that would cut through central Seattle near the dense downtown core. This proposed thoroughfare was envisioned to be a key segment of a new major corridor between Tacoma and Everett that promised to help alleviate congestion and better connect the Puget Sound region.
Document 6625, Record Series 1801-92,
Seattle Municipal Archives
Referred to in planning documents as the "backbone" of Seattle's future arterial thoroughfare system, the path of the Central Freeway was designed to cut through the center of the downtown. Roadways in this area were to be constructed below grade, creating a deep divide between neighborhoods like First Hill and Capitol Hill and the central business district.
Securing funds for the project was an early concern, as planners soon realized that the cost of construction would be beyond the financing capacity of the state's regular highway funds. Toll financing was the initial solution and engineers moved forward with plans for a new Tacoma-Seattle-Everett Tollway. In 1956 the Federal Aid Highway Act was passed, providing funding for constructing freeways across the country as part of the Interstate Highway System.
Plans for the tollway were modified to become part of a new Interstate freeway, though the general path of the planned route remained essentially the same. Federal money was secured to start building the freeway, which would become I-5, in 1957.
The Beginning of an Idea
Box 26, Folder 3, Record Series 5801-01,
Seattle Municipal Archives
While plans for the tollway were still moving forward in February 1955, Seattle Councilmember David Levine received a handwritten letter from Baltimore resident Charles A. Custer, Jr. "I have been following the progress of the Seattle Tollway," he wrote. "It is my understanding that a section of it approximately between Union and Olive is to be submerged...I am curious whether any consideration is being, or has been, made of the desirability and of the financial feasibility of placing a park over one or more blocks of this submerged section at the time of general construction or of constructing the tollway in such a manner that a park could be so placed at the minimum possible expense. If such consideration is not being given, I urge you and your fellow council members to look into the desirability and feasibility of such an undertaking."
Councilmember Levine referred the letter to the Parks Department and asked director Paul V. Brown to reply. Intrigued by the idea, Brown wrote to the Planning Commission and asked for their feedback and recommendations. The commission replied that while they recognized the lack of park space downtown, they felt the idea was not practical and "apparently impossible to achieve." Citing that such a project would be prohibitively expensive and potentially dangerous to traffic, they instead recommended that small park areas and viewpoints be encouraged along the proposed right-of-way, especially on hillsides near the route. This is the earliest documentation found in the archives proposing the idea of constructing a park over a downtown section of the freeway. It would take six more years for a similar idea proposed by the public to gain more traction and attention.
The promise of federal money to build the interstate through Seattle brought a new sense of urgency to city planners. After funds were approved, plans for acquiring property quickly moved forward, land was cleared, and the path of the freeway began to take shape. Critics referred to the portion running through central Seattle as an "open ditch" that cut off neighborhoods to the east from downtown.
In 1959, a group of residents formed the First Hill Improvement Club over concerns that the freeway as proposed would be a "mutilation" of the city and have negative impacts on those who worked and lived in the area. "We take the position that an uncovered ditch is critically wrong for Seattle today," they wrote, "and will create worse conditions than those it solves. It will permanently damage the city and in the long run will prove more costly than doing the job right in the first place."
Image 201550, Seattle Municipal Archives
In response, renowned local architect and First Hill Improvement Club member Paul Thiry proposed an innovative solution. He drew up a plan in 1961 proposing to cover or "lid" the freeway between Marion and Pine Streets, arguing that this would restore some connection to downtown and help to beautify the area of the freeway. Brought to a Committee of the Whole meeting that June, the plan drew much public attention with supporters citing a need for urban beauty. "Speed and money are not as important as beauty for coming generations in a crowded world," wrote one supporter.
The federal Bureau of Public Roads disapproved of the plan, claiming the additional cost as a primary factor. Thiry revised and submitted a new plan that was less expensive and included only a partial cover. Some city officials, including Mayor Clinton, were in favor of the revised proposal, and encouraged the federal government to consider it with "open minds." However, both the federal government and state highway department ultimately rejected the plan on the basis that neither federal nor state funds could be used for creating city parks. Construction proceeded as planned and the freeway segment through Seattle was completed in 1966.
Moving Forward with Forward Thrust
The concept of a park that would span above the below-grade section of the downtown freeway was still something that city officials were in favor of exploring. The expense of such a project, however, remained a stumbling block.
In 1966, Floyd Naramore, founding principal of the architectural firm Naramore, Bain, Brady & Johnson (NBBJ) instigated the first effort to establish a small park space along I-5 in the downtown core by donating funds to the city for the design, construction, and installation of a sculpture fountain and plaza to be built at Sixth and Seneca. The fountain, now known as the Naramore Fountain, was sculpted by Seattle-based artist George Tsutakawa and installed within a newly constructed plaza in 1967.
Parks Department 1968 Annual Report,
Record Series 1802-H6, Seattle Municipal Archives
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Also during this time, civic leaders in Seattle and King County were working on a plan to put forward a major new bond issue called Forward Thrust that would provide funds for improvement projects across the county. Spearheaded by local attorney and activist James (Jim) Ellis, the measure was aimed at helping the Seattle area manage urban growth by funding a vast number of ambitious capital improvement projects that would both repair and build infrastructure, facilities, and parks. In 1968, King County voters approved the first Forward Thrust bond measure which included funding for the Kingdome, a Seattle sewer separation project, and over $100 million for the creation and improvement of parks. Finally, funds were available to move forward with planning an innovative new park that would be built over a central section of the I-5 freeway.
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Initially called the Central Freeway Park, the project was envisioned as a "people-oriented area in the center of the city" that promised to serve Seattle's growing downtown. Officials soon identified an area bounded by Sixth Ave, University Street, Seneca Street, and I-5 as a targeted park site that would connect to a bridge spanning the freeway from University to Seneca. Plans called for the bridge to merge into a pedestrian plaza on the roof of a large garage on the east side of the freeway, covering what was then vacant land bordering the Exeter Apartments at 720 Seneca St. From there, it would extend under the Eighth Avenue overpass and connect to a walkway ending at Ninth Avenue. The section of the freeway between University and Seneca streets was confirmed by Washington state highway officials as the only freeway section in the downtown area that could feasibly accommodate a decking or "lid." The garage included in the concept was to be developed by the city and municipally owned. Overall, the development of the park promised an "urban oasis" that would draw pedestrians, downtown office workers, and nearby residents.
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As the city moved forward with plans to develop the park space, they discovered a snag: a private developer named Richard Hedreen was already in the initial stages of developing a new 22-story office building and parking garage on a key part of the proposed site at the southeast corner of Sixth and University. Negotiations began between Hedreen and the city, state, and federal government. Jim Ellis, the father of Forward Thrust and a long-time supporter of the freeway park concept, was a principal participant in the negotiations.
After several months, a preliminary joint agreement between Hedreen, the city, and the state was reached in September 1969. Hedreen agreed to resite his building so that half of the site could be used for the park as planned. He committed to building the 21-story Park Plaza office building, supporting the construction of the West Plaza surrounding the building, and constructing a private parking garage underneath the plaza. The state department of highways agreed to provide a 1.5 acre lid over the freeway, and the city agreed to both develop a park extending over the freeway lid and build a public parking garage under the East Plaza. A finalized tripartite agreement was signed by all parties and executed on June 17, 1970.
Design and Construction
An initial timeline for the park anticipated that all aspects of it would be completed by early-to-mid 1973. Land parcels targeted for the project consisted of city-owned property adjacent to I-5 that were "left over" from the freeway's construction, as well as less than an acre of privately owned land that would need to be acquired. The central section of the park, which would be built over I-5, would use air rights over the freeway in partnership with the state highway department. This would be the first time that a federal policy allowing joint development of rights-of-way along freeways would be successfully used anywhere in the United States.
In November 1970, the city selected San Francisco-based firm Lawrence Halprin and Associates to design the park. Halprin had also been a designer for the Seattle Center after the 1962 World's Fair, and the firm had also designed the Forecourt Fountain (today known as the Halprin Open Space Sequence) park space in Portland. Angela Tzvetin (now Angela Danadjieva) was Halprin's project manager and primary designer for the project.
Image 192708, Seattle Municipal Archives
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By early 1971, the Halprin firm had completed a study examining the "design determinants and opportunities" of the project and presented their findings to the Seattle Design Commission. The study explored potential environmental concerns like noise, wind, pollution, and shadow patterns, as well as what kinds of park facilities members of the public were most interested in having. To that end, Halprin's team had devised and distributed a questionnaire to area residents to get a better idea of the type of park people would want. Citing answers from the questionnaires, the design team determined that park would have both regional and community appeal, should appeal to park visitors of all ages, and should include dynamic water elements. A summary of the study submitted by the firm envisioned the park as one of "many different emotions - romantic, bucolic, dynamic, active and passive; obviously part of the center city and also an escape from it. We basically believe it should be many things to many people."
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As the design was developed, additional aspects under consideration included loading requirements; emergency access and security; accessibility; ongoing budget constraints; development of a children's area; and water elements that would help to block out traffic noise. A major focal point of the design was a "canyon area" in the Central Plaza that would feature a series of concrete walls with steps and a cascading water fountain. The design plan called for the hard lines of the concrete to be softened by shrubbery and trees. As the ability for all visitors to easily maneuver through the park was a primary concern of the Parks Department, pedestrian and wheelchair accessibility was also a key design priority.
Image 76466, Seattle Municipal Archives
The city contracted with the state's bridge design architect, NBBJ, to design the East Plaza Parking Garage. As required by the tripartite agreement, architects for all three participants - the city, the state, and Hedreen - formed a joint design team to coordinate their work and resolve any mutual problems that arose. Throughout 1971, designers and key project staff from Halprin, NBBJ, and city departments like the Parks Department, Engineering Department, the Office of Management and Budget, and the City Architect's Office continued to develop and review design plans for the park and parking garage. The complexity of the project and the multiple levels of coordination necessary to manage it meant that the timeline was pushed out more than once. By the time the design-development plans for the park were approved "with commendation" by the Seattle Design Commission in November 1971, the park was due to be completed in August 1974.
The groundbreaking for Hedreen's Park Place office building was held on June 18, 1970, and the building was completed by the fall of 1971. The dedication for the first phase of the park, the development of the West Plaza adjacent to the Park Place building and above its parking garage, was held in April 1972.
Image 77837, Seattle Municipal Archives
under construction in the background, 1971
Image 77861, Seattle Municipal Archives
In April 1973, the Halprin team's design drawings for the "canyon" feature in the center of the park were approved by the Design Commission. Work on that segment of the park was scheduled to begin in late 1973 to coincide with construction of the bridge over the freeway. By this time, the completion date for the project had been pushed out to the fall of 1975. However, construction on the state's portion of the project, the I-5 lid, did not begin until February 1974, and it wasn't until December that it had reached a point where development of the park on top of it would be able to begin.
Image 203829, Seattle Municipal Archives
Image 203832, Seattle Municipal Archives
By this time, development of the East Plaza Parking Garage was also hitting delays. The incorporation of a municipally-owned parking garage had been an original part of the Freeway Park concept, with city planners expecting that the garage would reduce the number of parking spaces needed in the downtown core. This, they envisioned, would encourage drivers to park in the garage and use the pedestrian paths across Freeway Park to walk back and forth from shops downtown, thereby also helping to reduce noise, traffic congestion, and air pollution in the Central Business District. A feasibility study was conducted in 1969 and revised in 1970, with both concluding that it was indeed feasible for the city to construct a downtown parking garage and eventually make a profit from it. Design-development plans for the East Plaza Parking Garage were approved by the Design Commission in March 1972.
Box 7, Folder 19, Record Series 9323-02,
Seattle Municipal Archives
Image 192716, Seattle Municipal Archives
Located on land adjacent to the planned garage was the Normandie Apartments, a long-time residential building that at the time was primarily occupied by elderly and low-income tenants. Originally, the East Plaza Garage project was designed so that it would fit around the apartment building, saving it from acquisition and demolition. However, engineers eventually realized that the impact of the garage construction would likely substantially damage the Normandie, and that the cost of any damages would probably be greater than what the building was worth. By March 1973 the city was in negotiations with the owner to purchase the property. Although the sale was approved in July, it wasn't until February 1974 that it became final. The Normandie was demolished on February 25 and finally the East Plaza Garage construction could begin.
Garage under construction, 1975-1976
Event 479, Seattle Municipal Archives
One of the final elements to be added to the park was a "Children's Fountain," constructed with $35,000 donated by the American Legion Foundation of Seattle in October 1975. The foundation had offered to to donate funds for a memorial fountain in the park as early as 1970, and discussions for how best to incorporate such a fountain into the design of the park had been ongoing since then. The Parks Department and the American Legion Seattle Post No. 1 eventually agreed that the fountain would be located and constructed within the park area above the East Plaza Parking Garage.
By this time, the timeline for the project had shifted again so that it was due to be completed by the summer of 1976, the year of the U.S. Bicentennial.
A Park in the "Heart" of the City
By early 1976, the project was nearing completion and details such as lighting, planting, and safety considerations were discussed. In May 1976, a "Saturday preview" of the fountains greatly impressed Jim Ellis, who called it "spectacular." The Naramore Fountain, which had been temporarily removed during the park's construction, was reinstalled and the plaza surrounding it relandscaped. Amenities in the park included 19 wooden benches, 3 drinking fountains, and a public restroom - the first public restroom in downtown Seattle since the comfort station below the Pioneer Square pergola was closed in the late 1950s.
Image 77770, Seattle Municipal Archives
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Image 77831, Seattle Municipal Archives
The name Freeway Park had been selected and made official in January 1976 after many months of recommendations submitted by the public and various city and state officials. Other names submitted for consideration included Betty MacDonald Park, Peoples Park, Ellis Island (for Jim Ellis), Fountain Park, Freedom Park, Edwin Pratt Park, Paul Thiry Park, and Interstate Island. In a memo explaining their decision, the Seattle Parks Naming Committee wrote, "Because of the unique design of this park over perhaps the State's busiest freeway, this development will gain national and international recognition. For that reason, the Committee feels that a name which plainly identifies it would be most appropriate."
Image 77831, Seattle Municipal Archives
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Freeway Park was dedicated on July 4, 1976, as the opening event of Seattle's day-long U.S. Bicentennial / Fourth of July celebrations. The theme for the event was "This is Our Park" and the festivities kicked off with a parade of local residents and community groups following the All-City High School Marching Band into the park. Jim Ellis was the featured speaker, and Senator Warren G. Magnuson and Mayor Wes Uhlman also participated in the day's events. Free parking was available all day at the new East Plaza Parking Garage, and a free shuttle bus service connected the park with the Seattle Center and the downtown waterfront. A brochure for the new park describes how it "substitutes a park for a canyon in the heart of the city" by reconnecting pedestrian access between First Hill and downtown across the divide created by I-5. A quote from Mayor Uhlman states that Freeway Park is "one more example of the kind of creative, innovative approach to problems that has made Seattle a quality city from its earliest days." According to the brochure, the total cost of Freeway Park came to $13.794 million (minus the Park Place project), funded by city and Forward Thrust bonds, federal and state highway funds, federal grants, and private donations.
Sunset Magazine, July 1976
Box 15, Folder 4, Record Series 1612-08,
Seattle Municipal Archives
In the months immediately following the opening, Freeway Park received widespread notice and acclaim. Design and engineering awards were bestowed by local and national organizations, and letters from other jurisdictions interested in the project's concept and development poured into City Hall. A glowing article published in the July 1976 issue of Sunset Magazine brought even more attention, calling it "a new kind of urban park... It is a must stopover or detour for any visitor to the Northwest, a spacious people-oriented place of beauty, repose, and usefulness right on top of and beside a downtown freeway." A joint city and community commitment to the continued upkeep of the park was initiated later that year when the nonprofit Friends of the Freeway Park was formed in August 1976 to provide funds for ongoing seasonal flower planting and plant maintenance. In 1994, the community-based nonprofit Freeway Park Association was established, and today it continues to work alongside the Seattle Parks Department to activate and advocate for the park.
Freeway Park has continued to evolve and grow. In the decade after the park opened, new additions connected it to nearby developments such as the Washington State Convention Center and the senior living residence Horizon House. The Paul Pigott Memorial Corridor was added in 1984 to improve the pedestrian connection over I-5 between downtown and First Hill. Other modifications to the park have been in response to needed repairs or concerns about public safety and vandalism, such as improved lighting, rounded planters, and better signage. Over the years, Freeway Park has regularly hosted a variety of public programs such as concerts and performances, community dancing events, movie screenings, and more.
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In 2008, Freeway Park was officially renamed Jim Ellis Freeway Park, in honor of Ellis' work in championing the park and leading the Forward Thrust efforts that helped to fund it.