The Seattle school district has finally identified a site for a new athletic field for Lincoln High School — the only major school in the area without its own stadium. That’s due to historical circumstances: the school is located in the densely built Wallingford neighborhood, and after its 2019 reconstruction there wasn’t enough land for a stadium, with the remaining space used for parking. Other district schools, such as Roosevelt and Ballard, have more room because they were built later or sit on larger lots. Disputes with neighbors over noise and parking have also prolonged the process.
Superintendent Ben Sundliner announced a proposal to place the new field in the southwest portion of Woodland Park, on the gravel lot at the intersection of 50th Street and Aurora Avenue. The news was revealed at an end-of-year assembly, drawing loud applause from students, though Sundliner warned, “This is Seattle, so the process is still going to take forever.” Approval procedures, including environmental review and public hearings, typically take 12 to 24 months, but due to potential protests the timeline could stretch to 3–4 years.
Without their own field, Lincoln athletes have for years had to bus to other schools to practice and compete. They’ve used the now-closed Memorial Stadium, existing Woodland Park fields and Ingraham High School’s stadium in north Seattle. Ben Ward, a basketball and football player, said he sometimes doesn’t get home until 10 p.m. because of long trips from the Ingraham field. He hopes the new field will help attract coaches who previously declined to work without a permanent home.
Senior Chloe Hanscom, captain of the track and gymnastics teams, expressed cautious optimism. “We’ve been told construction was ready to start before, but nothing happened. But if this proposal actually gets the process started, hundreds of athletes will be grateful,” she said. Hanscom added that constantly traveling to other venues has been “extremely draining” for the teams.
This is the district’s third attempt to build a field for Lincoln, which enrolls 1,792 students. In 2024 a plan to build on the Wallingford Playfield was scrapped after neighbor opposition. In August 2025 a proposal to build two fields on the existing Woodland Soccer Field No. 2 sparked public outrage over threats to historic trees and to amateur BMX tracks that locals have maintained for decades.
Community group Friends of Lower Woodland Park, which previously gathered 800 signatures against building on the current fields, reacted to the new plan with relief. “We’re glad the field won’t be placed on Soccer Field No. 2. That’s a win, and we’re going to close the petition,” said group president Eric Fisk. Still, activists are worried about the fate of 10 large western red cedars on the site — a species uncommon in the city. The group proposes narrowing the field from 195 to 180 feet and shifting it diagonally to save the trees, and recommends against building a new parking lot, instead keeping the existing 170 spaces.
Construction will be funded by a property tax approved by voters in 2022 that is designated for SPS capital projects. This is a special tax on assessed property value that Seattle residents approve in elections. The collected funds are strictly for building and repairing public school facilities and infrastructure, including athletic facilities. The tax rate is fixed for a set period (usually 3–6 years), and its implementation requires a simple majority of voter approval. In this case the tax covers $2.7 million for the new field. The district has already confirmed the field will be full-size and multiuse — for soccer, lacrosse, ultimate and track and field — with upgrades to the existing track at Lower Playing Field No. 7.
But the exact timeline is not yet set: the project must be reviewed by the Parks and Recreation Commission and then undergo environmental review. The commission is an advisory body to the Seattle City Council. It evaluates projects for consistency with the Parks Master Plan and community recommendations. While its decisions aren’t legally binding, they influence the council and mayor’s final votes, especially when a project affects public green space.
Principal Cory Eichner called the proposal “the right decision that truly centers the needs of the school and our athletes.” He said all teams will finally have fields appropriate for their sports. The district will also conduct a traffic and parking study and ensure compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Now the community is waiting for Seattle “forever” to turn into an actual construction start.
Based on: SPS makes moves to build Lincoln High School’s new athletic field