North Seatac Park: Cause For Celebration -- Long-Awaited Ballfields Dedicated

SEATAC - After 18 years of off-again, on-again planning, North SeaTac Park opened last week with a celebration that included baseball, apple pie and rave reviews.

The dedication ceremony for the $5 million first phase of the park - the second-largest in King County after Marymoor Park in Kirkland - took place under threatening skies, but the spirits of 150 participants were not dampened.

"It's going to be a gorgeous field," said Loren Colello, coach of the Evergreen High School baseball team, which played SeaTac's Tyee High team to mark the opening.

The gray skies also couldn't cloud the enthusiasm of politicians, who still must face challenges. Chief among them are finding money for park maintenance and the second phase of the park's development.

With jets thundering overhead, officials lauded the cooperation among the city, county, state and Port of Seattle that led to completion of the first stage of the park.

"These areas have been badly impacted by the airport," said County Executive Ron Sims as he toured the park just north of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. "People had given up on the community. We took property that had really been scarred and recovered it."

The first phase of the project involved 80 acres between South 128th and South 136th streets and Des Moines Memorial Drive South and South 20th Avenue South. Four baseball fields, two lighted soccer fields, trails and other amenities now occupy what were once vacant lots and abandoned streets.

The next phase would include 140 acres bounded by South 136th and South 144th streets and Des Moines Memorial Drive South and 24th Avenue South. The property already has a 5-year-old community center, a BMX bicycle-racing course and an equestrian center. Officials estimate the second phase would cost $2 million.

"It's hard to say who will fund it," said Bud Parker, a capital-planning supervisor for the county.

Kit Ledbetter, SeaTac parks director, said officials first must decide who will pay the $125,000 annual cost of maintenance.