Salishan: One park greener!
On September 8, 2009, dirt started flying. Joined by the Walsh Construction team, eager volunteers, and Salishan community members, Pomegranate Center spent the week building a pocket park with an amphitheater, picnic shelter, natural playspace, and plenty of room for running or lounging around. We also updated the community garden with a new fence and decorative gateways.
Kids and adults alike were eager to get involved, doing everything from bringing water and lending power outlets to building retaining walls and sanding columns. Every night, the Salishan community organization treated the whole team to a home-cooked dinner. It was a real community project, as evidenced by the diverse and happy faces at the week-end BBQ.
The Salishan development in Tacoma, WA was once a World War II housing project. Since 2002, it has been rebuilt and revamped to create a diverse and dynamic community: a neighborhood that has a bit of everything, from apartments to schools, parks to single-family dwellings and community centers.
Pomegranate Center has been involved with the Hope VI Salishan redevelopment since the beginning. We have worked with the Tacoma Housing Authority, Walsh Construction, and community members and organizations to help craft a more meaningful, artful neighborhood. The latest phase of this partnership culminated in September’s week-long building workshop.
With a new park and a made-over community garden, Salishan’s neighborhood spaces continue to blossom. Thanks to all the volunteers and hard work, Salishan is now that much more colorful, from the fanciful wood columns marking the park’s entrances to the balloon animals at the BBQ. The new spaces and new friends are evidence of a community that just keeps getting stronger!
More pictures of our week of building and bonding down at Salishan available here and here.