Oh.

That sounds safe.

Not.

What better place for a park? It's hard to beat the serenity of the 4th and Pine intersection. And there are so many kids living in the neighborhood.

@2: There would be more kids living and visiting downtown if we provided more amenities for children.

Goldy @3 is correct. And from what I understand the population of children living downtown is already increasing pretty fast.

What parent wouldn't relish the opportunity for their children to play on equipment smeared with the feces and vomit left behind by those who used the park the previous night?

Oh good lord. god forbid we put a children's play area in Downtown's most central public space. No no no let's be sure to keep the area clear of anything so that we're at the ready the next time a protest/group wants to use it for a day. Sorry, but the park wasn't designed for protests as a primary use. City Hall plaza was, though, btw.

I think this is awesome. Let's hope the momentum is there to turn a temporary thing into something lasting. Great for the neighborhood.

KatherineFM@6:

Sorry, but the park wasn't designed for protests as a primary use.

No. It was designed for peeing.

Seriously, there's still a humongous one-square-block hole across from City Hall that was supposed to become open space about six or seven years ago. Whatever happened to that, Goldy?

"Here's some cash you fucking brats, now please go play somewhere else. ANYWHERE else."
— Glass Museum People

@7 - :) ha! yeah, but only because without a constant stream of good things happening there, bad behavior there is the default. Positive activity discourages negative activity, which is why programming/events and such in parks is so important. We should welcome children in downtown and this is one step in that direction.

Those things are fun to play on when it is raining.

If constant usage by families gets rid of Juggalos then I could be persuaded to support this.

@ 7 - I, too, would like to know why there's STILL a giant hole across from City Hall. How many years has that big empty socket been sitting there now, 6? 7? 8?

But yeah, Goldy, I agree - this is a bandaid of a playground, not really even worth discussing...

Is this artist going to throw a hissy fit when real children try to use the playground? Like the person who put up those creepy shadow people did when folks were putting scarves and hats on them?

Must be the brainchild of the person who came up with the skating rink in Cal Anderson Park.

@7, @12 - the credit crunch happend. First, it was to be open space, with the "stream" that starts at Municipal Court, and continues through City Hall, going through it. But then the City realized how attractive open green space is to the homeless, especially with flowing water (wonder how clean it would remain?). And the City has no heart to roust the homeless out of parks. Just look at City Hall Park, one block from City Hall.
Then the plan was to develop it into high-rise housing, with a plaza (read: cement or brick) and shops. But when credit dried up, the project never happened.
Something is going on now. Activity is happening lately. Portables, honey buckets have appeared in the hole.

Ugh! Based on the variety of people that "hang out" in the park now on a regular basis, I would never take a child there to play.

@12: The city sold the property. The private owner has not yet raised the money to develop it. Sound familiar? (see: recession). I believe a stipulation of the sales agreement was that part (but not all) of the property was to be retained as open space.

See also @15, who posted while I was composing. In any case, it's a private development.

While Seattle's dedication to inclusion by providing public space amenable to ghosts is exemplary, I hope the zombies and vampires will continue to be welcomed.

What this city needs is a giant water-park under a climate controlled dome. Extra points for being on a rooftop.

+1 for @5 and @16

@ 15 & 17 - Thanks for the update!

Urinal park

This is a stupid place for a playground. Also I'd still like to be able to get a hot dog and watch a big chess game occasionally, between the space this takes up and more people using the park there won't be anywhere to sit.

Downtown will always be inhospitable to kids, a tiny playground isn't going to change that.

How about about a "ghost" dog park?
Ghost Dogs are cool, while ghost children drool!

They better leave some space for me to dissent from public policy. I don't mind if kids play there too.

I wonder where Fnarf stands on this issue.

So my kids can play in the park drenched in piss and puke while I buy some crack from the local dealers a block away? THAT'S convenience !!!

Remember the playground that used to be at 4th and Bell? My grandmother lived on that block and no matter how much we begged, my brother and I were never allowed to play there because it was covered in used drug paraphernalia and assorted unidentifiable bodily fluids. That's what I see happening to a playground in Westlake: great for a summer, then rendered unusable by crust punks and assholes.

I'm with Goldy. We need a kick-ass playground but who's ass do we kiss to get it?

Other cities have fabulous playgrounds that are more like adventurelands. Why can't we?

If you build it they will come (but not at Westlake).

@30 - The memories of crack park. It's a fenced dog park now!

THIS SUCKS! This is not a good place to bring your kids and chill out, because it's too hectic and busy. It's the middle of the city, with heavy traffic on three sides! People walking back and forth all day! No!

All this does is act as a major sitting roadblock in the middle of the park. By the looks of the picture, it just crams the traffic crossing the park to one side. I LIKE the open space - something rare downtown - crossing it on early mornings, or seeing the occasional street musician, the food vendor, the chess players, the anti-Israel protesters and end-of-times Christian freaks with their humongous signs. And what are they going to do when the Christmas/shopping season rolls around? Where are they going to put the damn carousel, and where are people going to stand for the tree-lighting crap?

People don't bring their kids to the middle of Downtown to play in a stupid playground, bounded on all sides by office buildings and the roar of heavy traffic. They come to shop and experience the city. This sucks. I would never bring a kid here. I'm all for a city playground, but not here. Put it somewhere quiet, pleasant, and where kids are.