Seattle’s once-violent, troubled City Hall Park reopens as hopeful downtown destination

A park that was once the site of several high-profile cases of assault, murder and one of the most established homeless encampments in Seattle reopened Tuesday.

City Hall Park, located next to the King County Courthouse in Seattle, closed in August 2021.

Mayor Bruce Harrell was at the grand reopening and announced that during the hours when the park is open, there will be two park rangers monitoring everything, and overnight there will be security.

“Our park rangers are here to protect and serve… Our commitment to our parks reflects our commitment to people. We want them to be safe vibrant, healthy,” said Harrell.

KIRO7 has covered a number of crimes that happened at the park prior to its closing, which included a man stabbed to death, a dog kicked to death and a photographer that was attacked and robbed.

“You know it’s funny because it’s so close to the courthouse and City Hall and everything else for it to have been such a blight for so long,” said David Guilbault, who lives near the park.

Guilbault says he hopes this is a long-term solution, and hopes he and his neighbors can visit the park often.

“I think that’s fantastic. Since COVID, we’ve seen a decrease in police presence in the neighborhood,” said Guilbault.

Going forward, Seattle Parks and Recreation will periodically bring games, food trucks, concerts, and art installations to the park to help it remain a welcoming place that people want to visit.