The City of Seattle wanted to protect the Hiawatha Community Center in West Seattle from potential earthquakes. But what began solely as a seismic retrofit became a full-scale renovation and electrification of the building — one that, six years on, is finally completed.
The community center is 115 years old — the oldest in the Seattle Parks and Recreation system. Its prolonged closure was due to extended renovations and COVID-related delays. Now, the remodeled brick building is virtually brand new.
Families braved the rain on Feb. 21 to gather at the center for its reopening, celebrated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, refreshments, and a live DJ. Mayor Katie Wilson, who was in attendance along with District 1 Councilmember Rob Saka, hailed the space as one that holds the promise of a commons for everyone.
“When we invest in a community center, we're investing in belonging as infrastructure, not just a soft outcome, but a real one,” Wilson said. “The oldest community center in Seattle now leads the way into our clean energy future. That's the kind of continuity that matters, rooted in history, but also directed toward what comes next.”
The community center is also the first in the Parks and Recreation system to be fully electrified, a move that falls in line with the city’s efforts to reduce reliance on fossil fuels.
Jessica Murphy, director of planning and capital development at Seattle Parks and Recreation, said the city has always been climate-forward. Her team managed the renovation, and she called the electrification a “big win.” The changes include a fully electrified HVAC system, energy-efficient windows, a new roof, and an upgraded gym, kitchen and restrooms.
“We made a pledge to move away from, you know, gas boilers and things that are not as good for our environment,” Murphy said. “We were also able to bring cooling into this community center, which is really important with climate change, and being able to have some cool spaces for our children to be in.”
The lobby was also renovated to be more welcoming, according to the city.
There were attendees at the ribbon-cutting ceremony who had never set foot in the center. Others had spent years there. Al Mason worked in the lobby at the front desk for 18 years before the renovation. Now retired, he was dubbed a “celebrity” by some.
Mason fondly recalled events like the spring egg hunt, Halloween carnival and the lively afterschool basketball program.
“We would have anywhere from 40 to 50 kids in here playing basketball after school for a couple hours,” Mason said. “Yeah, a lot of the time it was a real pain keeping them under control.”
City officials say historically, Hiawatha had the largest child care program of any Seattle community center. The reopening was visibly marked by young children playing on plastic vehicles in the gym and on foam mats in the child care rooms.
Summer camps, soccer programs, pickle ball, and ginger bread house building are just some of the things the West Seattle community can look forward to as programming gets fully underway in June. There are drop-in hours for tot gym, the fitness room, and open gym through March 6. The city will be finishing up construction through the end of March.
While West Seattle parents Diane and Robin Walsh are psyched to bring their 9- and 11-year-old children back, they also recognized that the space is important for all ages.
Robin said Diane’s grandmother “used to come here when she was 98, 99 years old and do, like, line dancing and square dancing in the basement with a bunch of other people.”
