Tomorrow night (Thursday, June 29), a group of Ballard residents will be gathering at a pop-up park party at the Seattle City Light substation in Loyal Heights (7750 28th Ave NW).
They’re calling it the “Let’s Put a Park on It” Block Party, and are hoping to bring attention to the abundance of surplus electrical substations in the city, many of which have been sitting idle for decades ever since the city switched to new technology. Ballard has a few such surplus stations including Sunset Hill (3209 NW 65th St), Loyal Heights (7750 28th Ave. NW), with others in central Ballard at 6730 24th Ave. NW, 1405 NW 65th St., 3209 NW 65th St, and one right on Market Street at 2826 NW Market St.
“Residents in Ballard have wanted to repurpose the surplus Seattle City Light substations for many years. It was a dream of the late Carrie Gustafson to have public space at the Sunset Hill location,” Peggy Sturdivant, organizer of the pop-up park block party tells My Ballard. “Cass Turnbull saw a future P-Patch at one across from Ballard High School. Another former substation on 24th already looks like a park.”
Sturdivant and others would like the city to consider turning the substations into parks, and the pop-up party will provide an opportunity for residents to talk about what they’d like to see. There will be refreshments and cake at the Loyal Heights site, with the party planned for 7 to 9pm.
The event is a collaboration of the Seattle Green Spaces Coalition and UW Design Program graduates, who will be taking photos for their final design project.
Photo courtesy Peggy Sturdivant
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