Rainier Beach's Be'er Sheva Park to officially reopen amid $2.5 million makeover

Amid a yearslong, $2.5 million effort to revitalize the waterfront park, Be’er Sheva Park is slated for a grand reopening on Saturday.

The park's updates, which are still underway in a three-phase process, so far include a community stage, barbecue grills, lighted walking paths, and the addition of a boat-launch.

The park, which sits across the street from the Rainier Beach High School and borders the Rainier Beach Urban Farm and Wetland, is a staple green space for the community that connects it to Lake Washington.

Community members say that neighborhood-sourced projects like these should have more of the city’s attention and resources.

“This project would not have moved forward without authentic buy-in from the community,” said Sally Li, co-chair of the Rainier Beach Link2Lake committee, which has led the park revitalization efforts.

“I think being residents ourselves, we wanted to make sure our first priority was uniting a very diverse neighborhood — diverse in every means — to come together to give us a park plan that was going to be reflective of all the different values,” Li said.

The next stages of development surround the park’s water, Mapes Creek, as ecologists work to restore the habitat for salmon and other fish. Those projects are slated to be completed by the end of the year. The final phase of renovations will be to the park’s play area, and will include the installation of fitness equipment.

The development of Be’er Sheva Park is just one part of a campaign to activate the neighborhood. Link2Lake is also working with the Rainier Beach Action Coalition to redevelop Henderson Street, the road that leads from the Rainier Beach light rail station to Be’er Sheva Park.

“Be’er Sheva really kicked off that larger vision for our neighborhood,” said Jenny Frankl, who’s on the boards of both projects. “And so now we are still in the fight…Henderson is our next big obstacle to tackle.”

Gregory Davis, the managing strategist for Rainier Beach Action Coalition, said the groups rely on advocating for these neighborhood changes at the city level.

“It allows us to combine various city departments' support, like transportation, economic development, neighborhoods, and planning,” he said. “Leveraging these resources allows us to approach the investment needed for projects like [Be’er Sheva Park].”

The official ribbon-cutting for the park will take place on Saturday at 1 p.m. There will be a barbeque with food and community entertainment provided by Link2Lake.