Westlake Park (Seattle)

Westlake Park is a convert|0.1|acre|m2|sing=on public plaza in downtown Seattle, Washington, USA. Extending east from 4th Avenue up to and including a former portion of Westlake Avenue between Pike and Pine Streets, it is across Pine Street from the Westlake Center shopping mall, which is the southern terminus of the Seattle Center Monorail. The park and mall are named for Westlake Avenue, which now terminates north of the mall, but once ran two blocks farther south to Pike Street through the present site of the mall and park. Westlake Park is considered Seattle's "town square" [ [http://cityofseattle.net/parks/projects/downtown/Report.pdf Downtown Parks Renaissance] , Seattle Downtown Parks & Public Spaces Task Force Report, March 16, 2006. Accessed online 27 March 2008.] and celebrities and political figures often make appearances or give speeches from four-story shopping center's balcony. [ [http://www.metrokc.gov/exec/speeches/091401.htm Executive Sims' National Day of Prayer and Remembrance address] , September 14, 2001, King County Executive Ron Sims on the official King County site. Includes video. Accessed online 27 March 2008.] [Kevin Pelton, [http://www.wnba.com/storm/news/Storm_Celebrates_in_Style-119935-221.html Storm Celebrates in Style] , storm.wnba.com, October 16, 2004. Accessed online 27 March 2008.]

The southernmost block of Westlake Avenue (between Pike and Pine) was closed to traffic in the early 1960s to construct the original southern terminus of the Monorail. This arrangement continued from the time the Monorail opened in 1962 (in conjunction with the Century 21 Exposition) until the construction of the current mall and park. [ [http://content.lib.washington.edu/cdm-desmo/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/imlsmohai&CISOPTR=452&CISOBOX=1&REC=17 Monorail at Westlake Station, Seattle World's Fair, 1962] , King County Snapshots, University of Washington Libraries. Accessed online 27 March 2008.] [Reinhard Krischer, [http://www.alweg.com/alwegseattle/alwegseattlechronology.html Alweg Seattle Chronology] , Alweg Monorail Rapid Transit History, The Alweg Archives. Accessed online 27 March 2008.]

The park and mall were proposed by the Central Association (now Downtown Seattle Association) in 1968; they took 20 years to come to fruition, with multiple lawsuits along the way. [Alan J. Stein, [http://historylink.org/essays/output.cfm?file_id=1586 Seattle's Central Association unveils Westlake Center plans on December 3, 1968] , HistoryLink, July 28, 1999. Accessed online 27 March 2008.] When the park first opened in 1988, Pine Street was closed to through traffic, making it effectively part of the park, and tying the park to the open area on the south side of the mall. However, Seattle citizens voted in 1995 to reopen the street, as part of a deal under which Nordstrom took over the flagship store of the former Frederick & Nelson department store chain, a Seattle landmark half a block from the park. [Patrick McRoberts, [http://www.historylink.org/essays/output.cfm?file_id=1622 http://www.historylink.org/essays/output.cfm?file_id=1622] , HistoryLink, August 10, 1999. Accessed online 27 March 2008.]

Adjacent to the southernmost portion of the park is the Seaboard Building, another designated Seattle landmark. This 1909 headquarters of the Northern Bank & Trust Co. was one of the first major commercial buildings this far north in Seattle's downtown; all but the ground floor are now condominium apartments. [Ari Kramer, [http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2001/12/10/focus5.html Seaboard Building helps make Seattle 24-hour city] , "Puget Sound Business Journal", December 7, 2001. Accessed online 27 March 2008.] [Lawrence Kreisman, [http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/pacificnw/2001/1028/downtown.html Downtown Oasis] , "Pacific Northwest" magazine, "Seattle Times", 2001. Accessed online 27 March 2008.] Diagonally across from the park at 4th and Pine is a Macy's department store, also a city landmark as the former flagship store of the Bon Marché chain.

Notes

External links

* [http://www.ci.seattle.wa.us/parks/parkspaces/westlake.htm Parks Department page on Westlake Park]