Mercer Island Playground Replacements

In 2022, Mercer Island voters approved a 16-year parks levy, which continued funding for parks operations and maintenance in addition to funding playground replacements and Pioneer Park forest management. These critical levy resources will fund the replacement of 15 playground structures over the next 16 years!

Planning work is underway, and you are invited to get involved and share your ideas. This landing page will provide general updates and opportunities to get involved with this multiyear project. As plans for each playground develop, links to individual playground pages will be added. The first playground scheduled for replacement is Roanoke Park.

Click the buttons below to find more information about this multiyear project and playground-specific plans.

Updates for Mercer Island Playground Replacements

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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.
Community Survey Update: Comment on the draft site plan for First Hill Park Playground.

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The play equipment selection and site plan concept for First Hill Park Playground are now available for community review and comment! Review the site plan and read more about how community feedback shaped the design in this post.

After reviewing the site plan concept, share share comments on the proposed design and equipment here.

Comments will be accepted through July 8, 2024, and feedback will be used to finalize the site plan and play equipment this summer.
Community Survey Update: Provide feedback for First Hill Park playground equipment!

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Construction of the newly redesigned play area at Roanoke Park begins later this year. Now it’s time to turn attention to the second playground planned for replacement – First Hill Park!

An online community survey to share input on First Hill Park playground is now available. This brief survey is open to the community March 20-April 12, 2024, and will take approximately 10 minutes to complete. Community members are encouraged to take the survey with the kids in your life!

Take the survey here: https://letstalk.mercergov.org/first-hill-park-playground-replacement/surveys/playground-equipment

The survey was developed based on preliminary assessment of what will fit within the constraints of the size, provide maximum play value, and diversify the play opportunities in City of Mercer Island parks. Survey questions cover:
- Types of play equipment
- How you use the site currently
- General likes/dislikes of potential play structures
Feedback collected from the survey will be used to refine playground concepts, which will be shared online via Let's Talk beginning April 30, 2024.

Thank you for your input!
Public Meeting Update: Register for the Roanoke Park Playground meeting on January 30.

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Thank you to all the community members who completed the survey on Roanoke Park playground equipment. The City received more than 150 responses! Another opportunity to provide feedback is coming up later this month.

Virtual Public Meeting on Roanoke Park Playground Equipment
Tuesday, January 30 | 6pm
Register: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_AeoQP4yATheKAJFsFSDD0Q#/registration

Gather the kids in your life, and join City staff and the team from Berger Partnership to hear more about levy-funded playground replacements, review the Roanoke Park survey results, and give additional feedback on updated concepts for Roanoke Park. Registration is not required but is encouraged.
Community Survey Update: Provide feedback for Roanoke Park playground equipment!

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An online community survey to share input for the playground replacement at Roanoke Park is now available! This brief survey is open to the community from December 20, 2023, to January 12, 2024, and will take approximately 10 minutes to complete. Community members are encouraged to take the survey with the kids in your life!

Take the survey here: https://letstalk.mercergov.org/roanoke-park-playground-replacement/surveys/roanoke-play-equipment-survey

The survey was developed based on preliminary concepts that will work with the size, configuration, and access needs at the current playground site. Survey questions cover:
- Types of playground equipment
- How you would use specific types of equipment
- General likes/dislikes of potential playground layouts
Feedback collected from the survey will be used to refine concepts, which will be presented at the virtual public meeting on January 30, 2024, at 6pm. Details for joining that meeting will be shared on Let's Talk and the City website soon.

Thank you for your participation!
Playground Replacements in the 2023-2028 CIP

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The 2023-2028 Capital Improvement Program (CIP) plans for replacement of playground structures in five Mercer Island parks:
- Roanoke Park
- Deane's Children's Park
- First Hill Park
- Aubrey Davis Park Lid B
- Secret Park
This post provides details about the play equipment and needs at these parks as well as updates on where the City is in the planning process. Staff will update this post with new information and links as design and construction progress over the course of the 6-year CIP.

Roanoke Park

The playground at Roanoke Park is the first one slated for replacement. Berger Partnership, the City’s consultant partner leading design and community engagement, is developing a concept that will include site improvements for parking and fencing in addition to play equipment replacement. A community survey to collect input on playground equipment is open December 20-January 12, and the City will host a virtual public meeting on January 30 to review refined concepts and collect feedback to inform the final design. Depending on equipment lead times, this playground replacement should be completed by summer 2024. Learn more and engage in the process here.

Deane’s Children’s Park

A partial playground replacement for Deane’s Children’s Park was planned for 2023 and included the climbing rock, swings, and castle structures. Deane’s is a more complex site, particularly with the addition of the new Bike Skills Area. The opportunity for a holistic approach to the overall design allows for significant ADA and access improvements as well as a more cohesive approach to the playground and picnic shelter area. Berger is working on a sitewide redesign to meet these needs, and staff anticipate that community engagement for this playground will begin in 2024.

First Hill Park

Since the Deane’s design process is being extended, staff are accelerating other playground replacements in the levy schedule, beginning with First Hill Park. The playground at First Hill was originally planned for design in 2025 and construction in 2026. The design includes replacement of the playground structure, resurfacing of the sports court, and potential ADA access improvements. Berger is evaluating the site now, and the City will announce the date for the virtual public meeting on this playground replacement in early 2024. Similarly to Roanoke, construction at First Hill will depend on equipment lead times; staff hope to complete construction by the end of 2024.

Aubrey Davis Park Lid B
The Lid B playground area at Aubrey Davis Park provides a good opportunity for ADA accessibility improvements and will be part of a larger parks CIP project that includes the addition of ADA parking spaces and a restroom facility to support playground and other park users. Design is planned for 2026 and construction in 2027.

Secret Park
Secret Park includes a playground structure, a spinner, and swings. The equipment was installed in 2007 and is aging well; design of the new playground area is planned for 2027 and construction in 2028. Due to the grade and topography challenges at the park site, this playground area is not a good candidate for ADA upgrades.