Downtown Park - Bellevue
Every big city has its flagship park. For Bellevue, Downtown Park is the star of the park system. With 20 acres in the prime part of town, this park gets the most attention from tax payers. Downtown Park often has events going on, from ice skating in the winter to movies in the summer, including the city firework show on the 4th. Downtown Park has plenty of open green lawns or shaded areas in the trees. For walking and running, there is a one-half mile promenade bordered by trees, a canal and a 240 foot wide waterfall cascading out of a large reflecting pond. For kids, there is a play structure area. Some enjoy the formal gardens on the east side of the park.
WillhiteWeb.com - Puget Sound Parks
In the early 80's, a survey was distributed to 55,000 businesses and households asking what they envisioned in a downtown park. A majority of the respondents indicated a preference for a pedestrian-oriented green space that would remain relatively free of buildings and private facilities. A competition was conducted to select the design concept for Downtown Park. There were 67 entries received, then judged. The winner was Beckley-Myers of Milwaukee. The design called for a circular promenade for walking which defined a 10-acre open space bordered by a canopy of trees, and a continuous canal terminating in a giant waterfall and reflecting pool. The remaining area between the promenade and surrounding streets would be used for small venues like formal gardens, outdoor performance areas, picnic spaces, and children's playgrounds, which all ranked highly in the citizens survey.
Some History:
