The City of Seattle has announced a public-private partnership to revitalize the Elliott Bay Waterfront with funding from Giving Pledgers Melinda French Gates, MacKenzie Scott, and Barry Diller and Diane Von Furstenberg, through their family foundation, and Seattle-based Expedia Group, where Diller is also chair.

The Elliott Bay Connections project, estimated to cost $45 million, will be underwritten entirely by private funding—individual investments were not disclosed—and will include construction of a pedestrian and bicycle greenway connecting Waterfront Park to the Seattle Art Museum’s Olympic Sculpture Park and improvements to Myrtle Edwards and Centennial parks, including the restoration of public fishing at Pier 86. The project, which will begin later this year with a community engagement period, is expected to be completed ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will, in part, be hosted by Seattle.

The city also announced $20 million in grants—a $10 million challenge grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and an unrestricted $10 million grant from Scott—to Friends of Waterfront Seattle as part of a $200 million campaign in support of ongoing maintenance and programming at the new 20-acre public space.

“By connecting Waterfront Park to the parks along the Elliott Bay coastline, we provide an opportunity for people to come together to play, relax, and enjoy the benefits of touching the water,” said City of Seattle Council president Debora Juarez.

“The Elliott Bay Waterfront is one of the wonders of the City of Seattle and it’s great to participate in improving it for the benefit of all who live and visit the city,” said Diller.

“Public parks connect us to green space and water, but they also connect us to each other,” said Gates Foundation co-chair French Gates. “This network of waterfront parks will be a shared space for everyone and bring our city together.”

(Photo credit: Getty Images/SeaStock)