November 5, 2025

Issaquah's new Pedestrian Park and Senior Center Plaza connect the community

Photos courtesy of the city of Issaquah [enlarge]

The design team at Mithun was inspired by salmon-bearing Issaquah Creek, which runs through the city.

Issaquah opened its redesigned Pedestrian Park and Senior Center Plaza in August after several years of community planning. Coming off the corner of Front and Sunset streets, the de facto center of town, Pedestrian Park is a through-block passage connecting downtown to the Senior Center and Veteran's Memorial Park, both of which sit a block back.

Bayshore Construction (Bayshore Concrete LLC) of Arlington was awarded the $4.5 million general contractor award.

The park design team included KPFF Consulting Engineers, structural/civil; Stantec, electrical/lighting; SiteWorks, cost estimating; William Brown Landscape Architect, irrigation consultant; Mithun and Fluidity, water feature design; Turnstone, water feature mechanical and plumbing installation; Vector, water feature electrical; and Northwest Precast, concrete form fabrication.

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The pavilion at the senior center provides a gathering space for children, families and seniors.

The parks, plazas and landscaping were designed by Seattle-based Mithun. The design team incorporated a water feature at the entrance to Pedestrian Park inspired by Issaquah Creek which runs through the city to Lake Sammamish. The feature is a symbolic and interactive element that reflects the city's natural environment while inviting residents and visitors to pause and enjoy the spirit of the place.

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Passing from Pedestrian Park to Veteran’s Memorial Park, visitors are greeted with a memorial to the fallen.

The plaza through Pedestrian Park leads to the Senior Center and its new community pavilion which features a covered sitting area. This all-season gathering space was designed to serve children, families and seniors, and to help to bridge the space between the play areas in Veterans Memorial Park and the Senior Center.

The city's park board and staff worked throughout 2023 with other community members to design Pedestrian Park with the cascading water element, winding planter areas, wood seating elements and staggered grove of trees to represent the valley floor of Issaquah. These concepts are carried through to the senior center and pavilion to act as an integrated gateway to Veterans Memorial Park. Construction began in 2024.

In 2022, Issaquah city council authorized up to $4 million of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding for the project.