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Beach Week | Seven street-end beaches and outdoor spaces are scheduled for upgrades!

Summer has arrived! To celebrate, we’ve shared some of our favorite hidden beaches and outdoor spaces that are open to the public.  

They’re all part of our Shoreline Street End program and are located where streets dead-end near a shoreline. You can find all 141 shoreline street-end parks on our interactive map.  

Today, we want to share projects that are underway to enhance some of our street-end beaches and outdoor spaces. 

These improvements will make the street ends more accessible and provide environmental benefits as well. Several City of Seattle departments and community volunteers are hard at work planning for and implementing these projects. Check out all the great projects below!

Seattle Department of Transportation led projects:

11th Ave NW Shoreline Street End  Credit: John M Feit 

11th Ave NW Erosion Control | SSE-140

The lovely decking at the 11th Ave NW street end was designed and build by University of Washington Landscape Architecture Students in 2015. Since then, the shoreline has been heavily battered and eroded by waves cause by boats in this busy section of the Lake Washington Shipping Canal. If not addressed, the erosion would eventually undercut the footings supporting the deck structure above. We began installing the first phase of green armoring in 2020 by installing coconut husk logs known as coir logs along the shore and back filling the area behind the logs with soil and deep-rooted plantings. In 2022, we’re planning to anchor driftwood logs to the bank to absorb additional wave energy and protect this site for years to come. [11th Ave NW and NW 45th St] 


6th Ave W Shoreline Street-End Habitat and Access Improvements Concept Plan  Credit: SDOT 

6th Ave W Habitat and Access Improvements | 6th Ave W | SSE-99

This project will provide shoreline habitat improvements along the south shore of the Lake Washington Shipping Canal. The goals of the project are to improve water quality by restoring functional riparian vegetation buffer and an existing bioswale and restoring shallow-water habitat through placement of large wood debris and beach gravel. We have applied for grant funding to complete the first phase of this project. If funded the first phase of the project will be completed in the fall of 2022.  

A second phase of this project will focus on transportation related upgrades including an on-street protected sidewalk that connects the site to the South Ship Canal Trail, 4-hour parking stall, pothole repairs, and paved pathway down to the beach. [6th Ave W and W Ewing St] 


Seattle Parks and Recreation led project: 

Terry Pettus Park Schematic Design presented to the Seattle Design Commission on 11/19/2020 

Terry Pettus Park Renovation | E Newton St | SSE-84

Originally constructed in 1971, Terry Pettus Park is a street-end pocket park located along the eastern shore of Lake Union in the Eastlake Neighborhood. Seattle Parks and Recreation has acquired new land that is just southwest of the existing Terry Pettus Park and plans to renovate and expand the park. The goals of the renovation are to maintain waterfront recreational access, increase durability of park materials, improve accessibility, improve access from adjacent trails and pathways, and incorporate shoreline restoration. They’re currently in the planning and design stage and expect construction to start in 2022.  [2001 Fairview Ave E] 

For more information visit the Terry Pettus Park Renovation project page


Seattle Public Utilities led projects:

Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) is building or renovating three pump stations that are adjacent to street-end parks. As part of these projects, they are improving public access and enhancing environmental benefits. 


South Park Pump Station Rendering  Credit: Seattle Public Utilities 

South Park Pump Station| 7th Ave S | SSE-33

As a part of its overall drainage program, SPU is proposing to build a pump station within the South Park Neighborhood.  The project is located along S Riverside Dr. adjacent to the 7th Ave street end and Duwamish River.  The proposed facility will include a series of wet wells and pumps to help prevent flooding in the neighborhood during storm events.   

The project proposal also includes accessible open space with pedestrian pathways, landscaping, vegetation, seating, lighting, and views to the water. Construction began in 2020 and will continue through 2021. [7th Ave S and S Riverside Dr] 

For more information visit the South Park Pump Station project page


Ballard Pump Station Rendering Credit: Seattle Public Utilities 

Ballard Pump Station | 24Th Ave NW | SSE-144

The Ballard Pump Station is a part of the Ship Canal Water Quality Project, a joint project between SPU and King County, to improve water quality in NW Seattle. The project will also include accessible open space, artwork, pedestrian improvements, and improvements to the 24th Ave NW street end.  An earlier phase of the project replaced the pier at 24th Ave NW. Construction here began in 2019 is anticipated to be completed in 2024. The dock is currently open for public access. [24th Ave NW and Shilshole Ave NW] 

For more information visit the Ballard Pump Station project page.  


98th Street SW Shoreline Street End Credit: SDOT 

Pump Station 71 Renovation | 98th St SW | SSE-1

SPU is working on a project to upgrade Pump Station 71, which is a wastewater pump station located near the SW 98th St street end. Enhancements being considered include expanding the footprint of the public street end, adding native plantings and beach logs, replacing the bench currently at the site, and providing a turnaround point at the street end for cars and emergency vehicles. This project is in the design phase.  [98th Ave SW and 51st Ave SW] 

For more information contact the SPU project manager.  


Volunteer led project:

S Massachusetts St Shoreline Street End Credit: SDOT 

S Massachusetts St | SSE-50

Volunteers with the Friends of Street Ends group have been working with us since early in 2020 to open this once overgrown shoreline street end to the public. Volunteers removed non-native plants in 2020 from the site and have proposed to install native plantings and create a gravel pathway leading from the street down to the shore lined with native plantings. To assist volunteers, we’ve has committed to providing permitting assistance, yard waste dumpsters, toolbox, and plants. [S Massachusetts St and Lake Side Ave S] 


Interested in volunteering at one of these or other street ends? Contact Omar Akkari, SDOT’s Shoreline Street Ends Program Coordinator, to learn more.  We’re always looking for new community groups and organizations to steward these sites and host work parties.