Westlake Park (Seattle) facts for kids
Westlake Park is a small public park in downtown Seattle, Washington, United States. It was designed by Robert Mitchell Hanna. The park is located between Pike and Pine streets, right across from the Westlake Center shopping mall and Westlake station. This station is a busy spot where you can catch the Monorail and light rail trains.
The park and the nearby mall are named after Westlake Avenue. This street used to go through where the park and mall are now. Westlake Park is often called Seattle's "town square" because it's a popular place for events. Famous people and leaders sometimes visit or give speeches from the balcony of the shopping center.
How Westlake Park Began
The idea for a walking area in this part of Seattle first came up in 1959. In the early 1960s, a part of Westlake Avenue was closed to cars. This was done to build the first part of the Monorail, which opened in 1962 for the Century 21 Exposition (a big fair).
The current park and mall were suggested in 1968 by a group called the Central Association (now the Downtown Seattle Association). It took 20 years for the project to be finished! There were many legal challenges during this time, and even after the park opened in October 1988.
Fixing the Park's Design
When the park first opened, there was a problem with the granite tiles on Pine Street. They started to crack. This issue was sometimes called the "Nightmare on Pine Street." The city took legal action against the designer and received money to fix the problem. Repairs started in June 1989.
After the tiles were fixed and a new transit tunnel was completed in 1990, the Seattle City Council decided to keep Pine Street closed to cars. This made it feel more like part of the park. However, in 1995, people in Seattle voted to reopen the street. This was part of a plan that allowed the Nordstrom store to move into a historic building nearby.
Nearby Landmarks
Right next to the park is the Seaboard Building, which is a historic landmark in Seattle. Built in 1909, it was one of the first big business buildings in this area. Today, it has shops on the ground floor, offices on other floors, and apartments on the top floors.
Across from the park, at 4th and Pine, there used to be a Macy's department store. This building is also a designated landmark and was once the main store for the Bon Marché chain. It closed in February 2020.
47°36′40″N 122°20′13″W / 47.61111°N 122.33694°W
