PROJECT: Green Lake Community Center/Pool Redevelopment
LOCATION: Seattle, WA
CLIENT: Seattle Parks and Recreation Department
AWARD: Summit Award – PRSA Puget Sound Chapter / Public Relations Programs: Community Relations (2021)

PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The Green Lake Community Center, situated on the east side of enormously popular Green Lake Park and boasting an indoor swimming pool among other amenities, is one of the oldest and best-used community centers in the city of Seattle. Seattle Parks and Recreation is replacing the facility to meet growing needs and to ensure people of all ages and backgrounds can enjoy it for many years to come. In the spring of 2020, with the spread of COVID-19 and the need for social distancing, Seattle Parks faced the challenge of keeping the project moving ahead while continuing to inform and involve the public in selecting possible locations for the new community center and pool.

RESULTS: Using S&A’s online platform, InfoCommunity.org, Seattle Parks was able to keep the project on schedule while also mounting an accessible and inclusive public engagement effort that provided meaningful feedback. S&A worked with Seattle Parks to develop an online open house that included a community priorities survey to understand siting preferences. Public feedback and participation were 25-30 times greater than is typical of traditional in-person open houses. The community’s feedback enabled the planning team to make informed, community-focused decisions. By the numbers, the project included:

• 6,500+ people who visited the InfoCommunity.org online open house
• 4,100+ people who completed the community priorities survey