Photo by john larson
PLAY SPACE. Shana Squifflet supervises Alex, a child from a nearby daycare center, in Gas Station Park.
The conversion of a contaminated parcel of land at the corner of South 48th Street and Park Avenue, where an abandoned gas station sat for years, into a park for neighborhood residents is a testament to not giving up on a dream.
A dedication ceremony for Gas Station Park was held Oct. 1.
City Councilmember Rick Talbert said the long effort to create the park was a collaboration among the city, Pierce County, state agencies and neighborhood activists.
He said real estate agents mention the park to prospective homebuyers, which has helped boost home sales in the neighborhood.
Amenities include a basketball court and playground equipment. Flowerbeds and picnic benches still need to be installed. A swing set could come at some point in the future.
While some finishing touches remain to be done, “the results so far are absolutely terrific,” Talbert remarked.
Fred Brookshire, vice chair of South End Neighborhood Council, recalled how efforts to create a park on the site of the former gas station began in 1999. Back then the lot was littered with garbage and abandoned vehicles.
Bill Evans left Tacoma City Council last December after completing his second term. Nine years ago Evans was campaigning for his first term. Brookshire mentioned a conversation the two men had at that time. Evans suggested getting the neighborhood council involved. That group began working on it seven years ago. “Back then we did not fully realize how long it would take,” Brookshire remarked.
Pierce County owned the site at the time. The parcel had been sold seven times in 17 years, Brookshire noted. The county eventually sold it for $13,000, with the neighborhood council and the city both contributing money toward the purchase.
The park is 14,000 square feet. Brookshire said had it not been for the park, it likely would have been developed for housing, most likely tri-plexes.
Creating the park cost $500,000, with much of that going toward cleanup efforts. Brookshire said the neighborhood council received a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, a unique situation in that usually such grants only go to local governments.
Many groups provided materials, labor or money for the park. These include businesses such as 48th Street Pub, Lowe’s, Home Depot and Manke Lumber, government agencies at the city, state and federal levels, and a local motorcycle club. Several members of the club were at the ceremony, including Brookshire’s brother, whom he thanked for bringing in heavy construction equipment.
“As a team, you see what we have done,” Brookshire remarked.
Rebecca Lawson, director of the Southwest Regional Office’s Toxics Cleanup Program for the state Department of Ecology, mentioned Franco’s Oil, the gas station that was once on the site. Oil, gasoline and other substances from its operations had leaked down into the ground. Four underground tanks were removed, as was 400 tons of contaminated soil.
“This is now a wonderful place for your friends and families to enjoy,” Lawson told the audience.
“This project is an example of what partnerships can do,” said Pierce County Councilmember Barbara Gelman. “This was converted from an eyesore to a blessing.”
“Persistence is the story of this park,” said Mayor Bill Baarsma. He said many people doubted this site could be cleaned up and turned into a park. “This was the idea of dreamers. They had the persistence and optimism that make projects like this happen. This park is a major asset for this neighborhood.”
