New Park Opens in Frederickson

Pierce County Parks Adventure Guide + Calendar | FALL 2021

A great deal of work, and partnerships formed by Pierce County Parks, the Friends of Stan and Joan Cross Park group, Pierce County City Council, and state representafeature

story

Stan & Joan

CROSS PARK

Grand opening celebrates community and first park in Frederickson

If you’re looking to discover a new park with lots to do, add Cross Park to the top of your list. At the grand opening and ribbon cutting celebration in July 2021, kids and adults a- like enjoyed games on the open-space lawn, played on the park’s universally accessible playground, gathered in the indoor community space learning about the park’s history, and marveled at the wildlife on the adjacent Naches Trail Preserve. The completed first phase of work at the park opened the northern 4-acres of the 64-acre park which includes sustainable restoration of historic barns and the preservation of natural lands.

tives made this possible. Kicked off by the vision of Stan and Joan Cross over a decade ago, these partnerships are a beautiful example of the community coming together to provide much-needed park and green space for this area. Stan and Joan Cross Park is the first and only public park serving the rapidly expanding urban growth area of Frederickson.

During the ribbon cutting ceremony, Pierce County Parks Director Roxanne Miles said, “We want every part of our community to be able to have an adventure just down the street. A distinct one, and a fun one that brings out the joy of living.”

When you visit Cross Park, you are greeted with many options for an everyday adventure. After playing on the American Disabilities Act (ADA) universally accessible playground designed to offer fun for kids of all ability levels, you can enjoy the picnic areas, where during the ribbon-cutting ceremony, a Bald

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Pierce County Parks Adventure Guide + Calendar | FALL 2021

Eagle flew directly overhead. Two historic dairy barns were sustainably refurbished into a beautiful and spacious community center where you can hold gatherings and celebrations. Cross Park’s design also includes pathways and accessible opportunities near wetlands and forestedareas adjacent to the newly improved Naches Trail Preserve prairie habitat, so you can connect with the natural habitat and wildlife of the Pacific Northwest.

“an adventure just down the street”

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Thinking about park experiences throughout your life, something that tends to stand out more than the park amenities is the people who you enjoyed them with. That sentiment was strong at the Cross Park dedication event as many locals shared their connection to the project, having hosted spaghetti dinners to raise money for the park or having a bench at the park memorializing a loved one who has passed but cared deeply about making the park happen.

Looking at the countless smiles of children playing at Cross Park that day, it was easy to tell that this park will hold a very special place in many hearts for years to come.

When considering how to turn the 64- acre space into a modern park, it was important to preserve the history of the former dairy farm to remind the community of its roots. The historic dairy barns are one of the more unique aspects of the park, which were restored and improved using sustainable building strategies. Sustainable building design and construction included the salvage and reuse of materials from the barns and secondary outbuildings such as milking stanchions repurposed in the community center’s entry design. Retaining most of their historic materials and assemblages, these buildings serve to educate about local history and current sustainable building practices.

Pierce County Parks Adventure Guide + Calendar | FALL 2021

Above inset, the once Mayflower Dairy barn is now a beautiful venue and community center.

Additional green building practices included in the Cross Park project include the interior walls which feature paneling made from reconstituted straw, the waste product of grain production and a renewable resource. Water and energy efficiency arrangements are built into the restored barn’s systems and indoor air quality is improved through low-VOC finishes.

“These are the

SPACES that make people PROUD to call Pierce County

home.”

Future steps of the project also includes plans for the important on-going restoration of the headwaters of Clover Creek and the adjacent priority habitat of prairie grassland, white oak savannah, and wetland. These efforts will help preserve the open space around Cross Park,

The playground features a large sand pit and farm-style water spigot.

allowing for wildlife viewing and the mental health benefits nature provides, in an otherwise suburban environment.

“This is how we make our communities better - everyone coming together,” said Roxanne Miles at the Cross Park ribbon cutting. “These are the spaces that make people proud to call Pierce County home.”

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Pierce County Parks Adventure Guide + Calendar | FALL 2021

The official ribbon cutting ceremony was held on July 24th, 2021.

The Cross Park grand opening was a spectacular way to celebrate the success of the community’s hard work to make the park a reality and invite everyone to take advantage of their new space. But we aren’t done yet! Future phases of work to further develop the park are underway and will develop more of the 64- acre space for the community to enjoy.

The gorgeous venue space is available to rent for special events.

To learn more, visit the Cross Park website or reach out to Kerry Jack, Recreation Supervisor at Kerry.jack@piercecountywa.gov or 253-798-4074.

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