Olympia Arts Commission to receive update on Rebecca Howard Park development plan 

The City of Olympia is moving forward with plans to guide future development at Rebecca Howard Park.

Parks Planner Sarah Giannobile is scheduled to give a briefing to the Olympia Arts Commission on Thursday, Dec. 11, outlining the recently completed park development plan, as well as proposing a construction timeline and discussing opportunities for future public art installations.  

In 2024, the city hired a design consultant team to lead the park planning process and convened a steering committee composed of local Black community members. Two members also served as cultural design advocates to help plan outreach and community events.  

Between April  and July, the city held five public events to share design alternatives and gather input. Feedback from those sessions shaped the preferred site plan and full development plan.  

The plans include narrowing 9th Avenue SE and converting asphalt to green space, reducing heat-producing surfaces in the downtown core. Its central location, within one-half mile of many residents and near bus and bike routes, is expected to reduce vehicle trips and improve access to open space.  

Rebecca Howard Park  

The city acquired the corner park parcel in 2018 for economic development, but its purpose shifted in 2020 as Black Lives Matter demonstrations highlighted the need for spaces dedicated to peace, reflection and belonging.  

The property was later transferred to Olympia Parks, Arts & Recreation to be developed as a park.  

A stakeholder group of city staff and community members recommended naming the site after Rebecca Howard, Olympia’s first Black businesswoman and a respected pioneer known for running a popular boarding house and restaurant in the city’s early years.  

The group also crafted a number of guiding goals focused on honoring Black history, fostering hearing, supporting equity and learning, uplifting storytelling and art from Black community members, and building strong connections with surrounding neighbors.  

Completion of the park plan allows Olympia to begin setting a project budget and applying for grants that would support development.