A park honoring local Black pioneer Rebecca Howard and Olympia’s Black history is next in line for development.
The Olympia City Council voted Tuesday, March 24, to accept a development plan for the Rebecca Howard Park, and to prioritize the project ahead of other planned parks like the one on Lily Road.
“Rebecca Howard Park has strong community momentum and a near term partial funding opportunity,” said Olympia Parks, Arts & Recreation Director Sylvana Niehuser, noting that the city will have the chance to pursue a $500,000 state grant in the coming months. Development of the Lily Road neighborhood park will be pushed out several years as a result, but will be a high priority project, Niehuser said.
“At its core, this recommendation is about delivering on our values, equitable access and community responsiveness, while also ensuring we follow through where there is clear community momentum and readiness,” Niehuser said. “Advancing Rebecca Howard park now as the right next step for our park system, and an important step in delivering on our community, our commitments to the community.”
Located in a small residential neighborhood between the historic downtown and the Capitol campus, the City of Olympia initially acquired the 0.3 acre park site in 2018 for economic development.
Following the Black Lives Matter protests of 2020, the City of Olympia decided the land would better serve the community as a place to honor the city’s Black history.
“The focus of the site shifted from housing to healing as a need arose to provide a safe place for community members to find peace, connection and belonging,” said Sarah Giannobile, a parks planner for the City of Olympia.
The City of Olympia transferred ownership of the park to the Olympia Parks Department in 2021 and formed a stakeholder group to develop a park design.
The park was soon named in honor of the woman who owned and operated the Pacific House Hotel on what is now Capitol Way from the late 1850’s to the 1870’s. Renowned for service and hospitality, Howard managed the hotel and kitchen, making a reputation for herself as a savvy businesswoman, a fine hostess and avid community booster, the City of Olympia states on its website.
The stakeholder group created an early conceptual site layout in 2023, with the city beginning the site development plan process the next year.
The park’s design was finalized in October 2025 and was brought before the Olympia City Council for approval March 24 after a final round of community feedback.
The final design includes a cafe and community hub for indoor gathering and workshops, a porch and stage for outdoor seating and performances, a lawn for large gatherings and general relaxation, a garden for quiet reflection, a gathering circle for smaller group meetings, a festival street that can be closed off for special events, and a reading nook across the street near the Olympia Timberland Library for storytimes and workshops.
The park’s design was largely inspired by Sankofa, a word from the Akan people of Ghana
that signifies returning to the past in order to move forward.
“Through our work with community, we found that circular, organic forms held many meanings that resonate with the project’s goals: continuity between past present and future, a welcoming embrace, and gathering in community,” the parks department states in the development plan. “Throughout our community process, we heard that Rebecca Howard Park should be both an expression of and a container for Black stories. Community members envision a space that elevates Black artists in many mediums, from paving and planting to walls and canopies. This park is also a space where Black stories are alive; the stage and lawn support active storytelling and performance, while the community hub offers space to gather and document local histories.”
The park is estimated to cost between $5.5 million and $6.5 million, depending on features such as solar installations and rainwater systems.
The Olympia Parks Department will rely primarily on grants and other outside funding to make the vision for Rebecca Howard Park a reality.
Because funding has not yet been secured, the city does not yet have a timeline for the park’s completion.
“It will take a lot of work on the part of the city to apply for as many grants as possible to get the funding to bring this project to fruition. But please know that we're fully committed to doing that,” said Mayor Dontae Payne, adding that the city is open to any further opportunities for community involvement in the project.
The full Rebecca Howard Park Development Plan can be accessed online at https://engage.olympiawa.gov/rebecca-howard-park-plan
