Future of Kenmore's leased Bastyr athletic fields uncertain as property is for sale

What the records say

In materials published ahead of the Aug. 7, 2025 meeting, the Kenmore Park, Recreation & Open Space (PROS) Plan described the city's arrangement at Bastyr University Seattle: Kenmore leases 7.0 acres of the site's athletic fields ¹. The university property covers 50.7 acres next to St Edward State Park at 1 Juanita Drive NE and includes 177,190 square feet of facilities, such as an academic building with a chapel, student housing, and university gardens ¹. The available records do not establish the meeting's outcome ¹. The leased fields already have two tennis courts, two grass 200-foot baseball fields with a backstop, one grass 340-by-250-foot soccer overlay field, a portable restroom, and a parking lot ¹. The plan's list of possible improvements says Bastyr's property is currently for sale, that the city would need to determine the future use and ownership of the athletic fields, and that field drainage and turf conditions could be upgraded if continued use is possible ¹.

• Kenmore leases 7.0 acres of athletic fields at Bastyr University Seattle ¹.
• The 50.7-acre Bastyr property sits next to St Edward State Park at 1 Juanita Drive NE and includes 177,190 square feet of facilities ¹.
• Existing field improvements include two tennis courts, two grass 200-foot baseball fields with a backstop, one grass 340-by-250-foot soccer overlay field, a portable restroom, and a parking lot ¹.
• The parks plan says Bastyr's property is currently for sale ¹.
• Possible improvements include determining the athletic fields' future use and ownership and upgrading field drainage and turf if continued use is possible ¹.

Why it matters

These fields are recreation space the city leases rather than owns, and the record says the property is for sale while the fields' future use and ownership still need to be determined ¹. Analysis: that combination means residents who use these fields cannot assume they will stay available, though the record does not describe what would happen to them or who would take over the land.

What changed / what's next

• The PROS Plan lists the Bastyr property as currently for sale and flags determining the athletic fields' future use and ownership as a possible improvement ¹.
• Whether Kenmore can secure continued use of the 7.0 acres of athletic fields, which the record ties to the property's sale and undetermined future ownership ¹.
• The available records do not establish the meeting's outcome.