King County officials in Washington have reached a preliminary agreement to buy the Skyway Park Bowl bowling alley building to convert it into a community center for residents of the unincorporated Skyway area south of Seattle. The deal is expected to close within the month as the owner shutters the business. Warren Jimenez, director of the county Parks Department, declined to disclose the purchase price but emphasized that the move is long‑awaited news for local residents who have pushed for a community center for more than 20 years.
Skyway is a historically Black community southeast of Seattle that has voted several times against incorporating as its own city. In the U.S., an “unincorporated area” means the land is not part of any city and is governed directly by the county. Skyway residents worried about higher taxes, losing the area’s rural character and taking on the costs of creating their own police, schools and infrastructure. As a result, the neighborhood — home to one of the county’s most ethnically diverse communities — has historically suffered from underinvestment. Unlike neighboring Seattle, Renton or Tukwila, Skyway has no municipal government and relies on the county for services with limited tax revenue. King County Executive Dow Constantine, who grew up in Skyway, recalls feeling the lack of recreational spaces deeply: “Residents have been asking for a community center for a whole generation. We really need this.”
Ten million dollars has already been allocated from the county’s 2021 budget to fund the project, and a parks levy approved by voters in 2024 will add another $13 million. King County periodically places property tax measures on the ballot — so‑called park levies — to buy land for new parks and to build amenities. For unincorporated areas like Skyway, which do not have a city budget for parks, those levies are critical: without them residents could be left without green space and places to gather. County officials previously considered building in Skyway Park but abandoned the idea to preserve open space. They settled on the bowling alley building on the busy Renton Avenue corridor — near bus stops and a Grocery Outlet supermarket. “It’s the perfect location: accessible by transit and by car, unlike the park, which is deeper into the neighborhood,” Constantine explained.
Skyway Park Bowl, which opened in 1961, was an important community space for generations. Devin Chikras, a board member of the local association, calls it a “third place” — a term in American culture for public spaces outside home and work where people can socialize informally. Bars, cafés, barbershops and bowling alleys often serve as those places. For Skyway residents the bowling alley acted as a social hub: meetings of local organizations, family events, after‑school and after‑work gatherings to bowl, dance and sing. It was one of the few places where the community could come together, especially in the absence of a municipal center. A sprinkler system failure in 2024 caused damage, but until it closed in March the hall was still used for events, including performances in Vietnamese and Spanish. Chikras sees the county’s plans as a “natural evolution” for the site.
Rebecca Zapata, executive director of the nonprofit Skyway Coalition, described mixed feelings: “I mostly hear excitement about the future center, but also sadness about losing the bowling alley.” She credits years of activists’ hard work for the victory. Meanwhile, Skyway opened a new resource center offering counseling and youth services in 2024, added a pocket park and is building affordable housing. “It’s a puzzle of many pieces, and together they make the neighborhood more walkable and cohesive,” Zapata said.
The specific design of the future center has yet to be developed, but Constantine expects a new building will likely be needed. For Skyway residents who have fought for infrastructure improvements for decades, buying the bowling alley became a symbol that their voices were heard. “The main story here is community power,” Zapata concluded, noting the new center will be another step toward turning a once‑overlooked neighborhood into a fully realized place to live.
Based on: King County to buy Skyway Park Bowl site for new community center