Development News for Lacey, Washington

Regional Athletic Complex Improvement Project Nears 90% Design Phase

An update was provided on the Regional Athletic Complex (RAC) improvement project, which is progressing from the 60% to the 90% design stage. The project's base bid focuses on converting a natural grass soccer field to synthetic turf and adding lights to extend field usage hours. It also includes additional seating for soccer field one, fencing upgrades around soccer field two, and baseball complex safety netting. Three add alternates are being considered: Wi-Fi upgrades, hardscape improvements to the baseball complex, and additional soccer fencing. The estimated cost for the base bid is $7.4 million, with an additional $3.5 million for alternates, totaling $10.9 million. Public Facilities District (PFD) funding will be used, and debt must be issued by June 2027. Design work is on schedule, with 100% design expected by the end of the year. City Council will also receive an update on June 9th.

Recreation Supervisor Jeanette Seeler Retires After 19 Years With City of Lacey

The Lacey Parks, Cultural and Recreation Board meeting included a segment celebrating the retirement of Recreation Supervisor Jeanette Seeler after 19 years of service. Seeler was instrumental in organizing numerous community events, including the SummerSand car show, holiday bazaar, Hershey Track Meets, Mother and Daughter Tea, the 3rd of July celebration, concerts in the park, breakfast with Santa, and the Family Fish In. Her last day with the city was June 18th, and a retirement party was held on June 18th. The board is currently in the process of hiring a replacement, with interviews underway and a potential start date in July.

Chair Erin Wheeler Concludes Nine Years of Service on Parks Board

Chair Erin Wheeler's final meeting on the Parks, Cultural, and Recreation Board was acknowledged after nine years of service. During his tenure, he supported two metropolitan park district ballot measures (2018, 2025), the indoor sports feasibility study, master planning for Greg Kuyo Park, outreach for the 2023 Comp Plan update, and the opening of the Depot and Train Playground. He also navigated COVID-19 safety guidelines, supported the RAC parking lot project, expansion of the Woodland Creek Park disc golf course, improvements to financial assistance policy, and Woodland Creek Park dock and bridge replacement projects. Wheeler expressed gratitude to the city staff and fellow commissioners, highlighting the park system as a jewel of Thurston County and emphasizing the importance of community involvement in making a difference. His term officially ends August 3rd, and the board will hold elections for new chair and vice chair positions in August.

Parks Maintenance Reports Progress on Tree Removal, Playground Safety, and Ongoing Projects

During the meeting, commissioners discussed ongoing park maintenance and upgrades. Tasks completed by the parks maintenance team included removing a large oak tree, adding gravel at Long Lake Beach, and performing impact attenuation tests at the Cooio Park and Bush Park playgrounds. The team also onboarded new employees and worked on various tasks such as aerating athletic fields, planting annuals, mulching tree wells at the RAC, assisting with event setups, repairing climbing rocks, replacing a garbage can, and mitigating graffiti in parks across the city. Additionally, progress was noted on the Kuyo Park project, where invasive ivy removal was conducted, and agreements for the temporary disc golf course were extended due to project delays. The Wonderwood Park court and trail repaving project is moving forward with a redesign for better access to the playground. The east parking lot at the baseball complex will remain gravel due to root damage, with potential for future repair.