An expanded Rebecca Howard Park might include several new features

Olympia is moving forward with plans for Rebecca Howard Park, which will provide community members with a space for peace, healing, education, and inspiration.

The park is located immediately behind the Olympia Timberland Regional Library branch. 

Rebecca Howard Park was named after a pioneering 19th-century Black businesswoman who owned the Pacific House Hotel in Olympia from the late 1850s to the 1870s. Howard developed a reputation as a savvy businesswoman, a fine hostess, and an avid community booster.

Parks, Arts, and Recreation Director Paul Simmons provided an update on the park's development in a presentation to the Community Livability and Public Safety Committee on Wednesday, July 24.

Simmons discussed the park's design, with the overarching theme centered on storytelling, celebration, and creating a space for reflection and healing. "We are trying to tell and share stories that maybe have not been told or highlighted through the history books or promoted as much as they should have been."

Simmon presented a preliminary "bubble diagram" outlining the conceptual design for Rebecca Howard Park. The adjacent library would be at the top of the park, with what the city called a "festival street" running through the center of the space.

Olympia Community Livability and Public Safety Committee, Wednesday, July 24, 2024. Parks Director Paul Simmons presents a preliminary draft design …

The festival street can be closed off for events, creating a flexible, pedestrian-friendly space to host performances, gatherings, and community celebrations.

The design includes a small group gathering area and a children's gathering area at the backside of the library, creating a connection between the library and the park. There is also a potential space for food trucks or other amenities integrated into a plaza-like connection between the library and the park.

The park's central focus is a large gathering area that could host performances and events. This space may incorporate elements honoring the park's agricultural history and connection to local Black pioneers like Rebecca Howard.

If a coffee shop is included, the design might aim to replicate the facade of the historic Pacific House Hotel to celebrate Rebecca Howard's legacy as a pioneering Black business owner.

Simmons said the draft concept represents an early vision for the park, with the expectation that it may evolve through further community engagement and input from the consultant team hired to help develop the project.

Simmons noted that the Rebecca Howard Park project was not moving as quickly as the city had hoped. He explained that this was due in part to the department's limited capacity. To address this, the city decided to request qualifications that could help advance the project and provide a fresh perspective.

The department reviewed six different applications and selected a consultant team consisting of Colloqate, a New Orleans-based engagement and storytelling specialist firm, and ABLE, a Seattle-based landscape architecture firm.

In the fall, the city plans to launch a full public engagement process including listening sessions. After that, the city expects to present some design alternatives in the spring of next year. 

Once the preliminary park development design is completed by June 2025, Simmons said the city will develop a funding strategy to turn the vision into reality. He explained that the department has not yet identified specific funding sources as they are unsure of the project cost. He expressed optimism about the city's ability to pursue various grant opportunities to help finance the park's construction.