Community celebrates 7-day 'ultimate makeover' of underdeveloped White Center Heights Park

Starbucks' gift, volunteers contribute to White Center community renaissance

With the drop of an enormous curtain, hundreds of kids, community members, volunteers, business and local government leaders gazed wide-eyed, cheered, then flooded into a dazzling new community centerpiece today – the freshly renovated White Center Heights Park.

The dramatic unveiling of the park and its new amenities capped a week-long Starbucks “Ultimate Park Makeover,” which involved an exhaustive transformation of the underdeveloped King County park that was made possible by the energy of nearly 1,500 volunteers and a $550,000 gift from Starbucks.

And thanks to the Washington State Legislature, the one-week makeover is just the beginning. The Legislature provided an additional $500,000 for the next phase of renovation at the park, including wetlands restoration and water quality improvement. 

“This generous gift from Starbucks has created a groundswell of community support and enthusiasm,” said King County Executive Ron Sims. “This park will be a centerpiece of White Center and this wonderful project is a model of collaboration between government, the private sector and the community. Thanks to Starbucks’ generous gift, and the Legislature’s additional half-million dollars in funding, this community will continue to grow and thrive.

”This Starbucks’ makeover is the ideal example of the kind of partnerships King County Parks is developing to enhance parks for our residents and reduce our costs,” Sims said.

The White Center Heights Park makeover is part of a renaissance in unincorporated southwestern King County, where a large immigrant community representing 80 nationalities lives, works and plays.

The 5.57-acre park property had long sat underdeveloped, but the much-improved public space now joins the new Greenbridge development, the new Southwest Boys and Girls Club and a new elementary school as major recent community investments in the White Center Heights neighborhood.

“Like coffee shops, parks can become great community gathering places,” said Starbucks Coffee Company Regional Marketing Manager, Heywood McGuffee. “We’re committed to community at Starbucks and this project gave us a fantastic opportunity to help build community in one of the most diverse neighborhoods in the country.” 

Barbeque pits, a stage, picnic tables and a community plaza, a flower garden, a pea patch garden and rain cistern to irrigate the property are among the park’s new  features.

“I am proud and impressed by the teamwork of parents, community leaders, and teachers who always kept in mind the end goal – this wonderful park to be enjoyed by many, young and old alike,” said Rep. Joe McDermott (D-Seattle) who helped secure $500,000 in the Capital Budget for this project.

Many of these additions were suggested by White Center residents and school children during a two-month public participation process. University of Washington Landscape Architecture students worked with the community to design features that would make the park a well-used gathering space for the diverse neighborhood.

“White Center Heights Park is now a community asset, designed by residents, built by volunteers and supported by the greater King County community”, said Aileen Balahadia, Executive Director of the White Center Community Development Association. “We cherish the opportunity for new gathering spaces to build and strengthen our diverse community and see this only as the beginning of continued White Center revitalization.”

Over the past seven days, Starbucks and community volunteers – often dozens at a time – gathered to help pull invasive weeds, shovel mulch, lay sod, and provide critical support to King County Parks staff and landscape design students from the University of Washington to meet the ambitious one-week renovation deadline.

“Designing and building the new White Center Heights Park in collaboration with King County Parks, Starbucks Coffee Company and the White Center community has been a fantastic opportunity for the 11 third-year undergraduate students participating in the this project,” said Daniel Winterbottom, Associate Professor of Landscape Architecture at the University of Washington.

The park also features a sculpture dedicated to fallen King County Sheriff’s Deputy Steve Cox, who was deeply respected by the White Center community and who gave his life in the line of service.

About Starbucks

Starbucks Coffee Company provides an uplifting experience that enriches people’s lives one moment, one human being, and one extraordinary cup of coffee at a time. To share in this experience, visit www.starbucks.com\giving.

About King County Parks

King County Parks – Your Big Backyard, offers more than 25,000 acres of parks and natural lands, including such regional treasures as Marymoor Park and Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park, 175 miles of regional trails, plus pools and a world-class aquatics center. By cultivating strong relationships with non-profit, corporate and community partners, King County Parks enhances park amenities while reducing costs. Learn more at www.metrokc.gov/parks/.