Holman Grove
What is Holman Grove?!?
Last winter, the Crown Hill Village Association and the Committee for Smart Growth created a project to help the community envision a neighborhood heart. The Bullitt Foundation funded a program to connect neighborhood groups with the University of Washington and the City of Seattle. The goal was to put public right of way to creative use.
At the same time, the city’s neighborhood planning process was collecting community feedback about the community’s priorities and vision. Crown Hill is growing quickly, and one issue identified by the neighborhood plan process is that there is no central gathering place. So we set to work to identify a location to activate and start building a neighborhood heart.
Why 90th and Mary Ave NW?
The group chose the location because it is near the D line rapid ride stop, near existing retail, and is in the geographical center of the neighborhood. We were inspired by Alonzo Village, the location of such eclectic businesses as Fat Hen, Soma Yoga and Dance, the Barking Dog, and Anders. This little pocket neighborhood center is just off the main street.
Why Holman Grove?
We wanted to create a place to gather. Another goal was to reflect Crown Hill’s history of being an orchard. We also liked the sound of Holman Grove playing off Holman Road.
Street Festival and more!
Last summer we hosted three street festivals to share this vision of a neighborhood heart. Thanks to a grant from the Department of Neighborhoods we had music, food, the Crown Hill Market, and a public art project. But this was more than a few parties. Using the grant, we also purchased city approved, self watering planter boxes. We worked with the city for permits to plant on the right of way. We are also working with the Christmas Tree farm, other area business owners, and the Crown Hill Community Gardeners to create a plan to transform the underused triangles of land at Holman and Mary Ave NW.