Lincoln High School students may finally get a long-awaited sports field following a protracted, often tense process of securing a site for the project.
Last week, Seattle Public Schools Superintendent Ben Shuldiner announced his recommendation for the location of the school’s new athletic field: a gravel ot N. 50th Street and Aurora Avenue N. The recommendation also includes a renovation of the track located at Lower Woodland Park’s field #7.
“After reviewing community input, working with Lincoln’s administration and athletics staff, and talking with a number of community groups, I am asking Seattle Parks and Recreation to partner with us on designing and building a full-size, multi-sport athletic field,” Shuldiner announced on the SPS website.
The community certainly did have input on where to site the field. SPS announced plans in 2024 to convert the grass field at Wallingford Playfield into a lighted synthetic turf football field for Lincoln students, the only public high school in the city without a dedicated football field. Voters gave the go-ahead to pay for it in a 2022 tax levy. But backlash to that announcement was swift, with playfield neighbors fighting tooth and nail to prevent the buildout.
Shuldiner hopes the full community stands behind the new plan, which he said:
- Expands access by adding a new full-size athletic field available for both Lincoln and the broader community
- Meets program needs for soccer, football, Ultimate Frisbee, and lacrosse without displacing other users
- Minimizes disruption at Lower Woodland to focus on what’s needed for the track upgrade
- Preserves capacity by avoiding overcrowding at Lower Woodland
At the same time, he noted the project is not a slam dunk: “We still have work to do in partnership with the Department of Parks and Recreation.”
Shuldiner explained: “One of the most important parts of the design process will be determining the best orientation for the field within the site with the goal of reducing impacts on tree canopy and surrounding natural areas.
“We heard that feedback clearly, and it will guide our work,” Shuldiner said. “The process will also include planning to support tree canopy and the forest floor, a traffic and parking study, ADA compliance, and an environmental impact statement that will include public comment. We’ll also be looking carefully at the impacts on cross-country and cyclocross use of the area.
After announcing the location, SPS submitted a letter to the Director of Seattle Parks and Recreation to advance the plan.
“We’ll present to the Parks Board this summer,” Shuldiner said. “We anticipate the field being ready for fall 2029 and the track sooner than that.
