Staff reports
Turnkey Park’s transformation is complete.
Mayor Suzette Cooke, city of Kent officials, Parks staff and partnering organizations celebrated Friday afternoon the end of renovations at the East Hill neighborhood park that began in 2010 with a shelter, parking lot, fencing and landscaping.
On June 7, KaBOOM!, Disney and more than 200 community members assembled a new playground along with picnic tables, benches and a learning garden. They also gave the fence a fresh coat of paint. Staff added safety surfacing and other touches
“In three-year’s time, this has become a renewed and re-energized park,” said Jeff Watling, director of Kent Parks, Recreation & Community Services. “And there is no better way to kick this off than to look back and see the community enjoy this public space. … We’re going to have a huge return on this investment in the coming years.”
Cooke and city staff thanked Disney, volunteers and businesses who helped make the new-look park and its big playground possible.
Turnkey Park, at 23312 100th Ave. SE, Kent, was acquired from King County by the city in 1993. The master plan for the park included developing the parcel next to it, which was purchased from the owner in 2002. The project was put on hold for eight years until funds could be secured to develop it.
Talk to us
Please share your story tips by emailing editor@kentreporter.com.
To share your opinion for publication, submit a letter through our website https://www.kentreporter.com/submit-letter/. Include your name, address and daytime phone number. (We’ll only publish your name and hometown.) Please keep letters to 300 words or less.
