The revamped and billionaire-funded Myrtle Edwards and Centennial Parks and Elliott Bay Trail will open 7 a.m. Thursday (June 4) following more than 10 months of construction and walk/bike detours.
The waterfront parks (Myrtle Edwards is a city park while Centennial is a Port of Seattle park) stretching from the sculpture park to the Expedia campus will once again have separate walking and biking paths as well as new beach access and landscaping.
The full park and all its paths will be closed 7 p.m. Wednesday until 7 a.m. Thursday.
In “early June,” Café Hagen will begin serving food and beverages at the new haʔłali pavilion building that is a dramatic glow-up for the old snack bar near the fishing pier. (Press materials do not include a pronunciation guide for “haʔłali,” but say it means “a good place.” You may recognize “haʔł” from “haʔɬ pədx̌aʔx̌aʔ” for “merry Christmas” or “haʔł dadatut” for “good morning.” Based on this Lushootseed pronunciation guide I think haʔłali would sound something like “hah-thlah-lee.” The ł doesn’t have an exact English counterpart, so while “thl” is often used in pronunciation guides it is more breathy, somewhere between thl and shl. I’m also not certain which syllable is stressed. Please comment below if you have a more accurate pronunciation).
Biking is by far the best way to get to haʔłali, located in Centennial Park beyond casual walking distance from the central waterfront. I suspect it could become a popular bike ride meetup or break spot.
More details from Elliott Bay Connections:
We are thrilled to announce that Myrtle Edwards and Centennial Parks will reopen to the public on June 4, in time for Seattle’s long summer days.
The parks include many new features including expanded beaches, thousands of native plants, more trees, new furniture, directional signage, and a brand new amenities building (haʔłali), with restrooms and a concessionaire. Visitors will be able to enjoy a new food‑and‑beverage experience beginning in early June, when beloved local Scandinavian coffee shop Café Hagen opens in the haʔłali building.
To prepare for opening, both Myrtle Edwards and Centennial Parks, including the shared use path, will be closed from 7 PM on Wednesday, June 3, to 7 AM on Thursday, June 4.