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Heritage Park improvements begin August 1 Work will close sections of park until spring 2007

This message is being sent to you because of your past interest in and support of the development of Heritage Park. We will send you several project updates as the work progresses.

We will begin construction at Heritage Park on Tuesday, August 1 to finish the elements essential to a basic park. This work will require some closures of the park until some time early next year.

We will spend $1.8 million during this phase of construction to complete the following:

• Re-grading portions of the park to raise the perimeter elevation by about one foot, which will improve flood protection for downtown Olympia.
• Installing irrigation and drainage systems.
• Adding topsoil and hydro-seeding lawn areas.
• Installing additional picnic tables and benches.

Construction is scheduled to take only about nine weeks. However, lawn areas within the park will remain closed until spring 2007, so the new grass can take hold.

We will reopen the lawn areas once the grass can withstand foot traffic.

You will still be able to access the "Arc of Statehood," the walking path next to the lake, throughout the project, even during construction. The public restrooms will also remain open.

The parking lot at 5th Avenue and Simmons will be closed during construction, so we can make improvements there. Parking along Deschutes Parkway and side streets will not be affected by the construction.

We invite you down to the park during construction to watch the progress. We appreciate your patience as we further improve this already popular park.

Please send your comments and questions to Nathaniel Jones, GA project director at: njones@ga.wa.gov.