The City of Redmond’s proposed Downtown Central Park will be “the jewel” among the community’s public spaces to gather and unwind, according to Mayor John Marchione and city officials.

Two open houses to discuss the downtown park will take place at 7 p.m. Thursday, July 23 and 7 p.m. Monday, Aug. 10, at the Lake Washington School District Resource Center, 16250 NE 74th St. Both open houses will offer the same information. The city is hosting two sessions to provide more flexibility.

With 5,000 more people projected to move into downtown Redmond over the next 10 years — and around 3,100 downtown jobs expected in the next 10 years — the time is right for Marchione, the current City Council and city staff to “put into reality all the planning started under the previous mayor’s administration,” said Craig Larsen, parks director for the City of Redmond.

He said the Downtown Central Park is meant to be “a place to congregate, relax before or after work, for those residents — and also welcome others. Helping knit Redmond Town Center and the rest of the city together was another criteria.”

FIVE POSSIBLE SITES

Five possible sites for the Downtown Central Park are being considered:

• Site 1 — Approximately 1.5 acres adjacent and east of Anderson Park.

• Site 2 — Approximately 3 acres across from Anderson Park, adjacent to the Burlington Northern rail corridor.

• Site 3 — Approximately 3.7 acres west of Anderson Park.

• Site 4 — Approximately 2.5 acres adjacent to the Burlington Northern rail corridor, also known as the former King County Shop Site.

• Site 5 — Approximately 2 acres located between Redmond Way and Cleveland Street.

THE PREFERRED PLAN

Larsen said Site 5 is the preferred location because of its proximity to transit and its cost-effectiveness.

Redmond’s Downtown Transit Center is located on Northeast 83rd Street between 161st and 164th Avenues Northest. Many commuters also utilize bus stops in front of the Redmond Regional Library on Northeast 85th Street and elsewhere in the city’s downtown core.

As downtown construction progresses, “161st will punch through where B & B Auto Parts now stands, so it will go from there to Leary Way,” Larsen explained. “Legislature this year, funded $2 million for infrastructure improvements such as sidewalks and water mains. We already own the western 40 percent (of the land within Site 5).”

He added that city planners have been meeting with five different property owners in the affected area, “so they’re not surprised” about the possible changes — and that the city will pay their relocation expenses.

Now it’s time to get public reaction, Larsen stated: “What do they think about the sites and what do they want to see?”

PARK AMENITIES

The Downtown Central Park will not be a park like Grass Lawn, Hartman or Perrigo, which are geared to active recreation. Rather, said Larsen, it will offer hard surfaces, a lawn area and places to sit, perhaps also including a kiosk such as a newsstand and/or a restaurant.

“Not a traditional park, but some green space, too,” Larsen clarified. “We will analyze all of these (options) at the meetings and will let the public know what we like best and why. It’s time to start talking about property acquisition.”

Site 5 is “centrally located, with a lot of potential for redevelopment … a little over two acres for a variety of uses — festivals, performances, with people not squeezed in,” Larsen continued.

“This should be the park jewel of the city, set the standard and make it a place you want to go, not just someplace on the way to the bus,” he said.

According to Larsen, City Councilmembers are “pretty much up-to-speed since the Budgeting by Priorities process. The council seems interested but wants to keep up with what people want.”

TIME AND MONEY

City planners hope to have the Downtown Central Park under construction in 2011 with completion within one to three years. Drawings and designs will go through the city’s commissions and council.

“We’re hoping we could maybe seed part of it, if there’s a lag,” Larsen noted.

In the city’s budget for the park is $27 million for acquisition and development. Of that, $21 million is earmarked for acquistion and $6 million for development.

The city will save $9 million by using the space that it already owns, if Site 5 is the chosen location.

“I see this as a 100-year plus investment,” Larsen concluded. “If you pick the right spot, it’s there forever.”

Click here to see a detailed map showing the proposed development sites