At 10:04 a.m. last Saturday, Mayor Patricia Williams cut a green ribbon in front of approximately 300 people, and a child named Rosario immediately ran past the rope line and onto the playground equipment before anyone had a chance to officially declare the park open. Nobody stopped her. Nobody tried.
"That," said Mayor Williams at the microphone a moment later, laughing, "is the point."
WHAT THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASKED FOR
When the city purchased the abandoned Holloway Manufacturing site in 2022, it held 11 community listening sessions before a single design element was proposed. The sessions drew nearly 600 participants.
What residents said they needed: accessible play equipment, a water feature for summer, full-size basketball courts, a community garden, and permanent shade structures.
THE PARK BY THE NUMBERS
Elm Street Park spans 4.5 acres with a fully accessible playground, a splash pad open in spring from 9 AM to 7 PM, two full-size basketball courts lit until 9:30 PM, and 40 community garden beds. All beds were claimed within seven days of registration opening.
Total project cost: $8.2 million, funded through city bonds, a state park improvement grant, and a Harbor Foundation contribution.
THE ART
Terrence Washington spent six months designing "Growing Together," the bronze sculpture at the park's main entrance: four pairs of hands at different ages of life, interlocked to form the silhouette of a tree.
Elm Street Park is open daily from 6 AM to 10 PM. Pavilion reservations: Parks and Recreation Department website or (555) 400-7700.