Under construction · through ~winter 2027
Since October 2019, Seattle Parks has been planning to relocate and replace the play area at Hiawatha Playfield (2700 California SW). After more than six years of expectations, redesigns, and regulatory holdups tracked by the West Seattle Blog, the project went out to bid in early 2026, was awarded to LW Sundstrom, Inc., and construction started the week of July 20, 2026. Parks’ schedule runs through winter 2027. Next door, Hiawatha Community Center reopened in February 2026. We’re still watching the finish line…
This playfield has long been a neighborhood hub—and for years families waited on the play area Seattle Parks promised would move to a better spot. The final design, announced in fall 2020, shows the playground shifting from the north end of the park (near the tennis court) to the grass south of the wading pool, with new equipment for ages 2–5 and 5–12, swings, a small plaza, accessible pathways, and restoration of the old site for nature play—work once eyed for a 2021 construction season that never happened on that schedule.
The West Seattle Blog documented stormwater-code and permitting delays: in January 2025, Parks capital staff told WSB that SPU and SDCI required extra documentation before bidding—a bottleneck also cited for Morgan Junction Park Addition. By March 2025, District 1 Councilmember Rob Saka’s newsletter projected bidding later that year and completion in spring 2026. The invitation to bid landed in February 2026; bids closed March 4. In June 2026, Parks announced the award to LW Sundstrom and a start the week of July 20, with the city’s project page listing construction from summer 2026 through winter 2027.
On the ground: Parks said the wading pool and reopened community center sit outside construction limits and would stay open, and that the existing play area would remain until the new one is complete—then be removed and restored for nature play. A July 20, 2026 WSB reader report, though, documented the popular big swings coming down as work began. Watch the site and the city’s official project page for what is fenced day to day.
Money and scope: Ahead of award, WSB quoted an engineer’s estimate of about $575,000 plus priced additives and an alternate, with overall contract sizing in the roughly $600k–$700k range on the city’s bid portal. King County Parks Levy funding is listed at $800,000 on the city project page.
The pattern—long gaps, revised timelines, and uneven communication—echoes what families saw at Lincoln Park South and elsewhere. Independent local coverage matters: search “Hiawatha play” on westseattleblog.com for the full chronology.
Key reporting from West Seattle Blog (WSB), newest first.
November 2026: Construction is underway. Compare day-to-day fencing and access to Parks’ project page and fresh WSB posts—schedules for “winter 2027” completion still deserve watching.
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