King County provides more than $1,000,000 to City of Kent for Parks and River Projects

September 5, 2023

On Tuesday, the King County Council approved a Parks Capital and Open Space Grant of $800,000 for the development of East Hill North Community Park and an Open Space – River Corridors Grant of $200,000 to the city of Kent for habitat restoration at Boeing Rock Park. 

For the East Hill North Community Park Development project, the City of Kent will create a community park with open space, restrooms, shelters, and a community gathering area to expand and improve recreation opportunities for underserved areas of Kent and surrounding communities. 

At Boeing Rock Park, the city will conduct a feasibility study, planning, and outreach for Boeing Rock Park to restore salmon habitat, reduce flood risk, and enhance recreation. “It’s a rare and exciting opportunity to build a new community park from scratch.” said King County Councilmember Dave Upthegrove. “I’m thrilled that King County was able to partner with the city of Kent on this project and I can’t wait for the neighborhood to experience these facilities.”

The Parks Capital and Open Space Grants and the Open Space – River Corridors Grants are competitive grant programs are part of the voter-approved 2020-2025 Parks Levy and seeks to assist eligible entities with open space acquisition, active recreation, passive recreation, and local trails. In August 2019, King County residents overwhelmingly supported the ballot a proposition authorizing a six-year property tax levy estimated to raise $810 million to support parks and open space throughout the County.