Saturday’s groundbreaking celebration for the new park at Summit Ave. and E. John Street signified new beginnings for the community, but also the end of a long community process.
After two years of fundraising and campaigning, Summit/John fund-raising group Unpaving Paradise, the open space committee of the Capitol Hill Community Council, celebrated the beginning of the end of the former Diamond Parking lot that will soon be transformed into a park and p-patches.
Saturday, people stopped by to say hello and celebrate by drawing on the concrete with chalk, hula hooping and dancing. Café Metropolitan celebrated as well, with an extended happy hour today until 6 p.m.
Construction crews will start working on the space as soon as next week, and the garden could be completed as early as September.
“This has definitely been a team effort and has really brought the community together,” said Nanette Fok, grant writer and volunteer with Unpaving Paradise. “The whole neighborhood has been involved.”
Unpaving Paradise is a project that branched off of the Capitol Hill Community Council’s Open Space Committee and has been dedicated to park fundraising. Now, the group will be focused on park planning and planting.
Even though the budget doesn’t look so good for Parks, the nature of the p-patch program and the overall community support should sustain the park in years to come.
“Parks has been pretty clear with us [about budget cuts],” said Jennifer Power, Capitol Hill Community Council member and board member of the Open Space Committee. “But the community supports this park, and between the p-patch gardeners, the people using it and all the local businesses, there will be a lot of eyes on the park.”
If you are interested in getting a p-patch spot, the best way to earn your way to the top of what could be a very long waiting list is to get involved with the groups associated with the park – Unpaving Paradise or the P-Patch program.
“Capitol Hill is an area that really wants and needs the space, and are getting excited about setting up their own gardens,” said Laura Raymond, Project Coordinator for the P-Patch Development Program through the Department of Neighborhoods. “This new green space is emblematic of p-patches around the city and of a deep community commitment to it.”
Just email us at unpaving.paradise(at)gmail.com!
Also, more pictures of the groundbreaking coming soon at unpavingparadise.blogspot.com.
:) Jen
Remember some of us eat a ton of fresh zuchinni … I thought it was just a great pocket park space. Pea patch is OK, but this is a prime space. And pea patch are not public and not inviting, in fact most of them look like shit. Great for cats and dogs to piss and shit.
Oh well.
I will eat the squash … it might take years, the soil under that paved lot will be in bad shape, won’t grow much without a lot of work and money.
Nice attitude. In what universe is a patch of asphalt better than a P-patch? I’ve never seen one that didn’t look amazing. You really couldn’t be more wrong about this.
Your command of English is astonishing.
This isn’t Slog.
I love gardens, but P patches are at the lowest end of the concept. I would have preferred a perfectly planned pocket park for the increasing population of the Hill to enjoy. That intersection is very busy and lots of density – more coming.
So… The pop trend is P patch. Enjoy, I’ll eat the squash.
A park at this location is a great idea……a P Patch is not. It should be a space that can be used by ALL residents in this neighborhood not just a select few who are picked to plant their patch. The design also calls for a “skate dot”????? Talk about trying to please the entire Hill! A simple park where the local residents can relax would have been the best choice. Always interesting how the planning process gets hijacked by a few special interest groups.
The park will be open to the public and anyone is welcome to come sit and enjoy. If you are looking for more sitting space there is Tashkent Park, Thomas St. Park, and Cal Anderson of course, all with ample grass space, even on the sunniest summer days.
P-Patches on the other hand are in high demand, as the three year wait list illustrates. Congrats and thank you to everyone who helped out and raised both money and awareness about this project. Can’t wait until it’s completed!
Many of us who avidly supported the purchase and park planning did not perceive the mixed use – or something like that.
The wait list for P patch has been years for —- years.
So, folks near the park, the REAL neighborhood, should keep track and as time goes by see if they are happy.
I wonder if raising food for a food bank gets you garden space on a top of the list basis? Must one raise food, or can it be flowers?
I am sure Justin will let us know.
The north third of Cal Anderson Park will be fenced most of the summer … work on the “lid” …. you will see the middle part jammed on good/ sunny days/weekends.
Bobby Morris play field is sport only – and full of them, always.
What is a skate dot?
I’ve been on the wait list for a P-Patch for YEARS – in Cap Hill, AND Queen Anne which would be a pain but better than nothing.
Agree that a park for all is > a p-patch for a few. Or maybe an area for community gardens as a concession? QA tried that experiment a few years ago and it went well.
Still, a green space is better than an ass-phalt space.
amused by the photo caption.
I’d like to buy a U, Pat, and is there an N?
crowdsourcing our humiliation. fixed.