King County Gets City Hall Park In Land Swap With Seattle
SEATTLE — King County and Seattle agreed to a land exchange Friday, granting the county control of City Hall Park and handing Seattle more than a dozen parcels, largely located in the South Park area.
King County council members in October approved plans to acquire the downtown Seattle park, which sits directly adjacent to the King County Courthouse and the county seat of government. The half-acre property closed for renovations in August amid increasing safety concerns and mounting political pressure. Nearly three dozen judges signed a letter asking the city to close the park, and King County councilmembers Jeanne Kohl-Welles and Reagan Dunn led a push to take ownership and overhaul the area.
"This land swap agreement signals a new and exciting era for City Hall Park and the entire King County downtown campus," Kohl-Welles said Friday. "Now, we will be able to think strategically and long-term about how to ensure that County facilities are welcoming and accessible for all residents in the County, whether they’re in Pioneer Square or at the Courthouse to access services, to work, to participate in the judicial system, or just to visit what is known as Seattle’s First Neighborhood."
King County Executive Dow Constantine announced a deal with Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan in a news release Friday, highlighting the benefits for both governments in the swap.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/king-county-gets-city-hall-park-in-land-swap-with-seattle/ar-AAQUQRL
