Battery Street Tunnel Future Park Site Design

The City of Seattle is seeking qualifications for Battery Street Tunnel Future Park Site Design . Qualifications are due no later than 12:00 pm on Monday, May 4, 2026 . All questions are to be submitted through the e-procurement portal at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/seattle no later than 12:00 pm on Monday, April 27, 2026 .

Seattle Parks and Recreation is seeking the services of a licensed Landscape Architect registered in the State of Washington to conduct an early design study from initiation through a recommended conceptual design for a proposed future park site at the former Battery Street Tunnel property in Belltown (between Battery & Bell Streets and 1 ^st & Western Avenues).

The study will include initial public engagement to explore possible park uses, community goals for the site, and opportunities. The study will develop three schematic design options, and then one preferred conceptual plan and cost estimate as the final deliverable. Thorough public engagement will be carried out to inform the development at each design phase and once a recommended design is prepared before the final preferred design is selected.

This project scope is funded through the creation of a recommended conceptual design. If this project receives funding to complete design and construction, construction document phases 30% through bid documents, and construction administration tasks will be added by amendment in the future.

City of Seattle is considering transfer of the former Battery Street Tunnel property in Belltown from Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) to Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR) for development of a park. Adjacent properties owned by Seattle City Light and a community based organization are also being explored for acquisition for this purpose.

The Council Budget Action provides the following details: "The properties comprising a future Portal Park include a 60,000 square foot parcel owned by the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) that is the site of the former opening for the Battery Street Tunnel; a 7,200 square foot parcel owned by Seattle City Light (SCL) that is being used as a parking lot; and a multi-family parcel owned by a community-based organization. The City has already developed a section of the SDOT parcel as “Portal Porch,” an 1,800 square foot public plaza at the norther corner of the wider Battery Street Tunnel portal site. The remainder of the SDOT parcel to the southwest of Portal Porch is fenced off and maintained as a grass slope for the interim."

All three properties described above will be included as part of the design study, however acquisition and development of each property for the proposed future park project will be explored separately by City of Seattle. This project will explore a phased approach to design in the case that all properties are not acquired for the park development.

SPR has previously completed a geotechnical investigation of the site which will be shared with the selected consultant.