Climbing wall planned for North Bend
December 1, 2008
By Administrator
City Leaders in North Bend are close to making an outdoor climbing wall in Torguson Park a reality in the coming year.
A King County Parks grant will provide $60,000 to the city’s coffers in 2009 for the climbing wall project. The overall cost of the wall is estimated to be $160,000. City administrator and climbing wall supporter Duncan Wilson believes that the wall will be open by August.
The current North Bend city council and city administration want to make the climbing wall its legacy gift to the city, so that future generations can enjoy the amenity, according to Wilson.
The wall will be located in North Bend’s Torguson Park, and will be 25 to 30 feet high. A design for the climbing wall has not been completed, but city leaders want the wall to be the most challenging of its kind in the area.
Wilson thinks that the city can brand itself as a destination for outdoor recreation enthusiasts. The outdoor climbing wall will have scenic Mount Si as a backdrop, and climbers who visit North Bend can try out the artificial wall in Torguson Park before climbing in the Cascades.
To make this project a reality, Wilson formed a non-profit organization, the North Bend Parks Foundation, to act as a conduit for climbing wall donations. He said that some corporations do not allow direct donations to city governments, but can donate to non-profit groups. Wilson expects several donations from corporate sponsors will come through to make the project happen.
The North Bend Parks Foundation has already received several pledges from local organizations, including a $5,000 donation from the Metro Park District, and a promise of an in-kind donation from a local contractor. Wilson said that the local soccer program also wants to contribute to the project.
Persons interested in donating to the project can contact the foundation through its website, www.northbendparksfoundation.org.
Reach reporter Michael Bayless Rowe at mrowe@snovalleystar.com or 425-392-6434.
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