EVERETT, Wash. — Community members in Everett are showing love for one of the oldest landmarks in the city, a gazebo. It's set up in the city's Clark Park. But the gazebo will soon be removed and replaced with a dog park.
"It means Everett, it means that we respect and consider history," said Andrea Tucker, the president of Historic Everett, an organization focused on preserving the city's history. On Saturday, the nonprofit held an event, urging the community to share their love for this gazebo, which the city is planning to remove.
"We want to maintain historic character in the city of Everett,” said Tucker. “We don't have a lot of historic character left."
According to Tucker, the gazebo is the only one in the city and has been an iconic location for the community to gather for 103 years. "Location that's had throughout history, many speakers, events, protests," said Tucker.
Trygve Anderson, 79, has lived in Everett his whole life. He said the gazebo is a place where his mother used to play as a child, along with many other children in Everett over the years. "I don't think we should be erasing images of the past, buildings from the past,” said Anderson. “This gazebo is doing no harm to anyone."
Tucker said people can support Historic Everett’s effort to keep the gazebo by writing into the Everett City Council and Everett Mayor Cassie Franklin. She also said people can get more information by emailing the nonprofit at historiceverett@gmail.com.
On Saturday, Simone Tarver, the project manager with the City of Everett, said while the Clark Park gazebo has been "a valued community asset in the past, we’ve reached a point where it needs many costly repairs."
Tarver said the decision to remove the gazebo was made by the city with the support of the Bayside Neighborhood Association.
"This will enable us to expand the area of the planned dog park, which will be a great amenity for the neighborhood," Tarver said.
A timeline for when gazebo will be demolished and construction of the dog park has not yet been set.