Bell Street Park

Each case study will start with a map.  For my inaugural offering, follow the red line below along Bell Street as it traverses from Elliott Bay at bottom left, via Bell Street to Denny Way, before it straightens out and finishes up at South Lake Union.

This neighborhood in Seattle has seen a lot of living in its time.  It connects Pike Place Market to bustling South Lake Union and provides views of the waterfront, parks and the iconic Space Needles along the way. Serious crime and tragic bike accidents have scared residents away over the years, but it seems to have finally turned a corner, in no small part due to the presence of major foundations and game-changing businesses like Amazon.

It's gentrifying, but still has over 30 community service organizations dedicated to housing the homeless, among other things.  To me, that makes this neighborhood different.  The attention paid to enhancing the public realm and the life of the street is what has made a difference to me.

It started out as a Boxing Day dinner at Local 360 on First and Bell, below: 

It wasn't sunny, and it wasn't even daytime, so I didn't photograph the street at the time.  These are 2014 Google Street Views, grabbed the next morning as screenshots:

See the guy sitting on the chair, above?


And these chairs and table in the sun, below, a block further up, outside Belltown Inn?

  

 And these ones outside the new housing complex in the same block?

And for several more blocks, a continuously unified streetscape:

What you can see are all the elements of a street merging with the elements of an urban front yard.  Concrete seating blocks, bike racks and planters defining the boundaries of auto and pedestrian traffic, minimal signage and no curbs.  Generous parking strips newly planted and cared for, subtly painted areas on the pavement to indicate bike lanes:

From the City of Seattle Parks and Recreation website:

"When high land values limited the potential for park acquisition, community leaders and city departments turned to the underutilized public right-of-way to create a multi-functional open space."

A "park-like corridor throught the heart of Belltown."

Four blocks of "improved landscaping, better lighting and more open space."

  

photo courtesty of sVr

Existing park at 3rd and Bell, with much-needed improvements and a Rapid Ride bus stop:

From a car's perspective, looking towards Elliott Bay:

"Geographically it links other neighborhoods:  the waterfront, Pike Place Market, downtown, Seattle Center, and the Denny Triangle...It is  a dedicated, caring, and inclusive community that not only supports, but also embraces more than 30 human services agencies and low-income housing located there."

From SvR Design website:  "...Single-purpose right-of-way is being transformed into a vibrant, safe and green public space.   This 4-block section is the first phase of a long-range plan for a park corridor stretching from South Lake Union to Elliott Bay. "

Between 3rd and 4th on Bell, the Space Needle rears into view on the left:

At the end of the current improvements to Bell Street, marked by the monorail on 5th and the Belltown Community Center:

The next phase below:

Bell Street at 5th with monorail

Bell Street looking back from 6th to monorail, below:

6th and Bell staging area, above and below with Space Needle in background:

Bell Street entering South Lake Union neighborhood, with PATH building:

Bell and Denny Streets, PATH building looking up Denny toward Capitol Hill:

894 Bell Street and Denny Park looking up  toward South Lake Union:


Bell Street Park stats:

Acreage:  1.33

Owner:  Seattle Parks and Recreation

Designers:  SvR with Hewitt
Players:  Belltown Housing and Land Use Committee, Bell Town Community Council
Dates:  First proposed 1998 Belltown Neighborhood Plan
Start Date:  2009
Dedication:  April 2014
Cost:  $5 million for planning, design and development of the park provided by the 2008
Parks and Green Space Levy

And don't forget to throw a street party when you're done!

photos courtesy of sVr