Westlake Square Park bordered by Stewart Street, Sixth Avenue and Westlake Avenue.
Westlake Square, the triangular section of property bordered by Stewart Street, Sixth Avenue and Westlake Avenue, will soon be a more user-friendly public space! As part of the Westlake Hub Transportation Strategy SDOT, in cooperation with Parks, will spend November removing the walking barriers and non-functional items and replacing them with new materials such as new pavement and inlaid solar-powered pedestrian lighting. The goal is to improve pedestrian safety and transit access. Crews will clear away the circular structure that was once a bus shelter; remove low-level brick walls that block walking paths; and salvage the park’s broken fountain and ornamental lights for potential refurbishing and later use in a future City project. Walking surfaces that were damaged earlier this year will also be replaced, in this area that has at times drawn criticism for harboring questionable activity, and the existing honey locust trees will remain.
The interim changes to Westlake Square are a first step in what is envisioned to be a series of enhancements to the terminus of the Seattle Streetcar line and “hub” of transit services at Westlake Avenue. These include improvements to McGraw Square Park, bordered by Fifth Avenue, Stewart Street and Westlake Avenue. For more information on other active and planned improvement projects for the area, please visit the SDOT webpage: http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/westlakehub_streetcarplaza.htm