The City of Kent has long been associated with aerospace engineering. The original lunar rover was engineering at the Boeing facility in the city. In fact, three of the rovers built in Kent remain on the moon today, designated by the State of Washington as historic landmarks. And in 2020, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos launched Blue Origin in Kent, sending people into space for the first time in 2021. Space-themed Kherson Park, celebrates the legacy of the city’s impact on the aerospace industry.
The park features a replica of a lunar rover, a lunar lander play structure, a life-size astronaut, an interactive mission control panel, and a 40-foot backlit polycarbonate mural of the moon surface. Circular forms, suggesting moons, planets, and craters, are embedded throughout the park. Circular moons and half-moons are designed into the playground surface material, and the central walkway features circular patterns in the concrete. Even the storm grates are circular.
The City of Kent and Seattle-based JA Brennan collaborated on the park’s design and site elements. When they were introduced to Typology Ring lights and Ring bike racks, they knew they’d found the perfect elements to reinforce the space imagery and circular patterns throughout the park. “The Ring light related to the park’s form and look,” explained JA Brennan Senior Associate Drew Coombs. “It just fit in. The fixture itself has become a distinct element within the park.”
Opened in May of 2023, reception to Kherson Park has been outstanding. Before its redevelopment, the park was rarely used, but now it has become a destination. Terry Jungman, Park Planning and Development Manager for the City of Kent, finds the revitalization of this small downtown park amazing. “It’s great to see a space go from never used to constantly used. The park has been featured in blogs from organizations running children’s playgrounds, and visitors from across the region come here. We couldn’t have imagined how popular and well used it is.”
