Olympia council approves Rebecca Howard Park development plan, staff seeks grant funding

The Olympia City Council voted unanimously on March 24 to approve the Rebecca Howard Park development plan, a community-led design that the parks department says will prioritize Black history, cultural programming and flexible gathering spaces.

Sarah Giannobile, parks planner, outlined a multi‑phase design that features a community hub with a café and multiuse room, a stage and lawn for performances, a festival street that can close for events, and a garden of culturally significant plants. Giannobile said the design was developed through extensive community engagement including a nine‑meeting steering committee and multiple public events.

Director of Parks, Arts and Recreation Silvana Niehauser recommended reprioritizing Rebecca Howard Park ahead of other undeveloped parks because of strong community momentum and a near‑term opportunity to pursue a $500,000 statewide grant. Niehauser said the project would be built in phases; consultant cost estimates put the low end of the full build at about $5,500,000 and a high end of about $6,500,000.

Council members asked staff about safety and maintenance. Giannobile said the design incorporates crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED) and that the parks operations team has included operations and maintenance cost estimates in the plan; Niehauser said park rangers and neighborhood partners would continue to help monitor the space.

After questions, Council member [motion maker] moved to approve the plan, it was seconded and passed by unanimous voice vote. Council and staff said the city will now begin grant applications and further design and outreach work to implement the plan over multiple phases.

The plan moves Rebecca Howard Park ahead of other undeveloped projects in the city’s park queue and directs staff to pursue the identified grant and other funding to begin phase one work.