Traditional Mexican dance by Folklore Mexicano Tonantzin in 2022. Photo by Sunny Martini.
2022 Gratitude Report
Joy Shigaki, President & CEO of Friends, speaks at the Elliott Way Opening and Dzidzilalich Honorary Naming among other city and community leaders including Mayor Bruce Harrell. Photo by Jo Cosme.
Awe. It’s the word that best describes how I feel when I see the near-daily changes happening along the waterfront. I am constantly amazed by the progress and thrilled that the vision is becoming reality. The dramatic upgrades along Alaskan Way and the Park Promenade, the sheer amount of new greenery being planted at Stadium Plaza, and the construction progress on the stunning Overlook Walk connecting the waterfront to Pike Place Market allow us to see our city’s future emerging before our eyes. These changes have been a long time coming, yet they feel surprising and invigorating—as if we’re accelerating toward that promised moment in 2025 when the majesty and ingenuity of Waterfront Park will be fully unveiled for the public to experience.
Friends of Waterfront Seattle is looking ahead to the grand opening and our critical role in the coming decade and beyond. Alongside park supporters and champions, we are the stewards and managers of this place. Pier 62 has become more than just a proof of concept—it’s a place where everyone can experience what is to come along the entire waterfront. In 2022, we welcomed 384,543 total visitors to this revitalized public space, more than 81,000 of them for free summer events reflecting the diverse cultures, creativity, and joyful resilience of our city—more than double the in-person attendance in 2021. Friends has a new office on Pier 56, we have a new partnership with Seattle Center to help manage public safety and maintenance on the waterfront, and we’re working closely with the city to help open new pieces of the park, including the Union Street Pedestrian Bridge, Elliott Way/Dzidzilalich, and Pioneer Square Habitat Beach.
Left: Overlook Walk. Image by James Corner Field Operations, courtesy of the City of Seattle. Right: The waterfront shortly before the Alaskan Way Viaduct was removed in 2019.
Through all this growth and change, some things have remained consistent. Our work in 2022 reflected the same values that our organization was founded on 10 years ago. Our community engagement around designing, piloting, and developing programs; the launch of our comprehensive campaign; and our stewardship of the waterfront were all done in ever-deepening partnership with communities, organizations, donors, and city institutions. These are the people and organizations who share our belief that Waterfront Park will be a place unlike any other, filled with beauty and majesty unique to our region and reawakening Seattle’s connection to the Salish Sea. They share our belief that Waterfront Park must be a place where everyone, especially Black and Indigenous people and other people of color, can feel welcome, safe, and connected to nature, to our city, and to community.
We are so grateful to our partners, supporters, and donors. This 2022 Gratitude Report shares stories from the past year and provides a window into what we have achieved together. Here’s to more to come.
Thank you,
Joy Shigaki, President & CEO
