A new neighborhood. Built in fifty years. That’s NewHolly’s story. Right here in Seattle.
NewHolly wasn’t always New. It began as Holly Park. Built in 1942. A place for defense workers. Architects Jones Ahlson and Thiry designed it. A landscape plan by Sturtevant was never built.
By 1958 Holly Park became public housing. It fell into disrepair. The Seattle Port Authority stepped in. From 1997 to 2006. They transformed the old neighborhood. NewHolly emerged. The first new neighborhood in Seattle in fifty years.
More than 1400 housing units. Mixed incomes. This was no simple renovation. It was a complete rebuild. Nakano Associates designed the landscape. Tree-lined streets appeared. Parks and playgrounds followed.
The John C Little Park is a highlight. Five and a half acres of space. Play areas plazas and picnic shelters. Smaller pocket parks and community gardens. The Chief Sealth Trail cuts through NewHolly. Three and a half miles long.
The final phase was remarkable. Hundreds of architecturally unified homes. Thirty-six wooded acres. Walking distance to everything. A library. An educational center. Local businesses. A central park. Oberlander’s masterpiece. Two and a half acres. A main lawn. A vegetated bioswale. Playgrounds and gardens. A market space. Three smaller pocket parks as well.
NewHolly’s transformation was a massive undertaking. Over three hundred and forty million dollars were invested. A HOPE VI grant jump started the project. Fifty million dollars. Private investment tax-exempt borrowing and other public funds filled the gap.
NewHolly is more than brick and mortar. It’s a community. A place where people of different incomes live together. NewHolly’s design encourages interaction. Front porches. Small front yards. Low fences for privacy yet visibility. The Othello Street Light Rail station provides easy access to the rest of Seattle.
NewHolly’s Neighborhood Campus is a hub of activity. A Seattle Public Library branch. South Seattle Community College classes. Childcare youth and family services. Job training. NewHolly has received countless awards. A testament to its success. A success built on vision. A success built on hope. A success that transformed a neighborhood. This is NewHolly. A true Seattle story.