The City is soliciting park name suggestions for the Chinook Wind and Duwamish Gardens habitat restoration sites located on the north side of the river between East Marginal Way South and Tukwila International Boulevard. Currently these are two separate projects on the Duwamish River that will provide aquatic shelter for threatened Chinook salmon, other fish and wildlife species. Eventually, they will be combined to make a passive park that will include walking trails, viewing areas with panoramic views of the river, a hand-carry boat launch, interpretive signage and art, a gathering circle, informal park lawn and small parking areas. It is expected that the Duwamish Gardens, on the east side, will be completed later this year and Chinook Wind, to the west, will be developed in the next few years.
Like much of the surrounding area, these sites have historic and cultural importance, particularly to the native Duwamish people who called the area home until the 1850s when federal policies relocated them to reservations. The City has already preserved the nearby Duwamish Hill Preserve (also known as “Grandmother’s Hill”), which is an important landmark and part of the native Duwamish’s creation story. Later, the sites became farms managed by prominent Tukwila families, such as the Carosino and Ray families who farmed the site for over 100 years. The location also served as a community center for the area’s Italian-American immigrant community.
Please send your ideas for names of this newest park to Mike Perfetti at Mike.Perfetti@TukwilaWA.gov
