Updates for Mercer Island Playground Replacements

Work continues to replace aging play equipment and enhance accessibility at Mercer Island playgrounds. Renovated playgrounds at Roanoke Park and First Hill Park will open in spring 2025, and new playground designs for Deane’s Children’s Park and Aubrey Davis Park Lid A are planned for the 2025-2026 biennium. Here’s a look at progress so far and where playground projects are heading in the next biennium.

Roanoke Park

In addition to all new play equipment, benches, and picnic tables, Roanoke Park is getting a new ADA parking space, accessible pathways, and poured-in-place surfacing as part of this playground replacement. Other related site improvements include installing a new park sign, building a new perimeter fence, and restoring the public art sculpture Totem. New play equipment arrived in August and is being stored while staff secure permits and execute the construction contract. Installing the poured-in-place surfacing requires warm weather, so construction will start in early 2025 and be coordinated with construction at First Hill Park to complete two new playgrounds by spring 2025. The playground at Roanoke Park will remain open until construction begins.

First Hill Park

New play equipment at First Hill Park includes a multilevel tower play structure featuring two slides, belt swings, and nature-themed steppers. A new crushed-rock pathway from 72nd Avenue SE to the play equipment, sport court, and picnic area will also be added during construction. Staff are preparing to submit for permits and order play equipment now, and construction is planned for early 2025 in coordination with Roanoke Park. The First Hill Park playground will remain open until construction begins.

Deane’s Children’s Park

In January 2024, the City Council paused the design of a partial playground replacement at Deane’s Children’s Park in favor of taking a holistic look at the site in a future biennium (AB 6395). That sitewide design process starts in 2025 and will focus on:

Cohesive redesign of the playground areas, including better integration with the new Bike Skills Area
Inclusive play equipment and universally accessible pathways/playground surfaces
Picnic shelter, restroom, and other related site improvements

A sitewide redevelopment will require significant resources, and the City is already taking steps to secure grants and other outside financial support for construction. Staff plan to launch community engagement and design in 2025 to develop a preferred site plan concept that will be used for fundraising to complete construction.

Aubrey Davis Park Lid A and Playground Replacement Schedule Updates

Looking ahead, the City plans to engage the community in 2026 to design the playground replacement at Aubrey Davis Park Lid A. Staff are also revising the Playground Replacement Schedule developed in 2022. The industry continues to deal with labor storages and supply chain issues, and the updated schedule will account for these challenges as well as the condition of existing play equipment based on regular inspections conducted by Parks Maintenance. An updated replacement schedule will be shared with the community in mid-2025.