This week, construction begins on Morrill Meadows Park and East Hill Park on SE 248th Street.

During construction, the city will temporarily close off the east portion of Morrill Meadows Park, as well as all of East Hill Park from public access. The west side of Morrill Meadows Park, including the parking lot, forested trail, most (but not all) of the great lawn, the picnic shelter and the playground, will remain open.

In addition, the city has temporarily relocated the Morrill Meadows dog park which is further east on SW 248th with an entrance on 124th Avenue. The interim dog park will include two separate, fenced areas, including a 23,000-square-foot small dog area and a 44,000-square-foot large dog area. The dog park will offer gravel, off-street parking and dog waste disposal facilities. However, water will not be available. Dog owners are encouraged to bring their own water, particularly during the hot summer months. Dog park hours are dawn to dusk.

These park improvements are part of the overall scope of the Kent YMCA, a 50,000-square-foot facility with an aquatics center, which is slated to open in late summer/early fall 2019. The YMCA is responsible for fully funding the YMCA facility, while the city is responsible for the park and a portion of frontage improvements.

GROUNDBREAKING IS SATURDAY, JULY 21
The community is invited to attend a groundbreaking ceremony on Saturday, July 21, 2018 from 10 a.m. to Noon at Morrill Meadows Park (1000 SE 248th Street).

“This project represents the collective effort of community members, legislators, volunteers, supporters and our YMCA partners who recognize the need for a state-of-the-art, recreational facility in our community,” said Julie Parascondola, Director of Parks, Recreation and Community Services. “We are excited to get started on the improvements to Morrill Meadows and to combine it with East Hill Park to better serve our residents and offer this very unique indoor/outdoor recreational experience. We hope the community will join us to celebrate this monumental accomplishment.”