Read and review the 30% design report for Terry Avenue.

Thank you to everyone who participated in the first round of community visioning for Terry Avenue. View the results of the survey.

TERRY AVENUE VISION PROCESS AND SITE DEVELOPMENT PLAN

First Hill has long been identified as a high-priority neighborhood for open space. The 1998 neighborhood plan recognized the need to improve existing transportation infrastructure for car, bus, bike, and pedestrian travel on First Hill and the need to increase the amount of open space. Both the 2000 Pro Parks Levy and the 2008 Parks and Open Space Levy identified First Hill as a priority area for development of a neighborhood park and funds were allocated for land acquisition. In 2005, a “First Hill Urban Village Park Plan” was developed to offer strategic approach for identifying potential sites for a new park through the Pro Park Levy acquisition project. Despite significant efforts in securing an appropriate site(s) for park use, land acquisition has proven challenging and the Levy money remains unspent. A new approach has been taken to consider street right of way as a means to achieve not only connectivity, but also park space that serves the working and residential populations of First Hill.

The First Hill Public Realm Action Plan (PRAP) was finalized in 2015 with the goal of expanding the total area of public space through right-of-way reallocation, private development partnerships and site acquisition for open space. The Public Realm Action Plan includes the development of near-term implementation strategies to expand the public space network through right of way reallocation, private development partnership and strategic site selection for potential acquisition. The Public Realm Action Plan has identified key streets to be developed into street concept plans for adoption into the Right of Way Improvement Manual.

The Terry Avenue Concept Plan, as identified in the PRAP, seeks to create 40,000 square feet of new open space along Terry Avenue by creating a pedestrian-priority street from Spring to Terrace Streets. Incremental development of the Terry Avenue pedestrian priority has been identified by the community and adopted into Seattle’s Right-of-Way Improvement Manual. On just three blocks of Terry Avenue, over 1,100 additional residential units are being constructed. This rapid growth provides opportunities to leverage private development and meet our community’s critical public open space needs through the implementation of the Terry Avenue Concept Plan.

In 2018, FHIA secured $4 million from the City Council- approved Community Benefits Package to create a promenade on Terry Avenue between Cherry and Marion Streets. The Community Benefits Package funding for this project will be managed by Seattle Department of Transportation. The design and community engagement for this project will be managed by FHIA.

Through a generous donation from a First Hill resident, First Hill Improvement Association engaged with David Yeaworth of Catalyst Strategies to convene a Steering Committee for Terry Avenue in the fall of 2018. Through support from David, FHIA engaged representatives from St. James Cathedral, O’Dea Highschool, Skyline Senior Living Community, Old Colony Condominiums, Westbank (707 Terry), Frye Art Museum, and Bloodworks to strategize, pose questions and plan for the future of Terry Avenue.

In 2019, FHIA secured funding through The Department of Neighborhoods Neighborhood Matching Fund for community engagement and a 30% architectural design this project. Through an RFQ process, FHIA has selected Berger Partnership to create the design and lead the engagement with the First Hill Community. This process began in January 2020.

The Terry Avenue Vision Process and Site Development Plan is a community visioning and concept design process for the design of Terry Avenue between Cherry and Marion Streets. Building upon work completed through the 2015 First Hill Public Realm Action Plan (PRAP), the community-driven design will serve as a catalyst and template for the overall redesign of Terry Avenue.

FHIA is grateful for the support from the Department of Neighborhood's Neighborhood Matching Fund to engage this process.