Updated October 15, 2026
Through 2025 and into early 2026, Seattle Parks and Recreation's project pages told dog owners in West Seattle and Southeast Seattle that their new off-leash areas would be finished in fall 2026. It is now fall 2026, and according to those same pages, neither project has gone out to bid. The city's own project pages now list completion in fall 2027 for Othello Playground and winter 2028 for West Seattle Stadium.
There is some good news for Magnolia and Interbay. A new off-leash area at Smith Cove Park is set to open when that park partly reopens by the end of this year.
We compared the city's current project pages with archived copies of the same pages from 2025 and early 2026. Here's what changed, and where to take your dog in the meantime.
The short version
- West Seattle Stadium: The city's project page said "Completion: Fall 2026" as recently as February 2026. The Engage Seattle Parks project hub, updated July 29, 2026, now says construction in spring 2027 and completion in winter 2028.
- Othello Playground: The city's project page also said "Fall 2026" through at least January 2026. Its current version, updated April 3, 2026, says construction in late 2026 or early 2027 and completion in fall 2027.
- Bidding: Both pages say the city expects to begin bidding the work in late 2026.
- Why the delay: The city has not published a reason on either project page.
- Coming sooner: Smith Cove Park's new off-leash area is part of a partial reopening the city expects by the end of 2026.
How the timeline moved
Both projects came out of Seattle Parks and Recreation's Off-Leash Area Expansion Study. Staff gathered public feedback in summer and fall 2023. The Board of Parks and Recreation Commissioners unanimously approved the recommendations on March 28, 2024, according to the city's off-leash areas page. That page says the 2023–2029 Seattle Park District funding cycle pays for designing and building two new off-leash areas, and for designing a third. The Seattle Park District budget for the two new sites is $3,103,000 combined, according to both project pages.
West Seattle Stadium
The plan turns the unpaved overflow parking lot at West Seattle Stadium (4432 35th Ave. SW) into a fenced off-leash area with seating and a planted stormwater bioretention area. The city held public meetings on the design on Feb. 23 and June 5, 2025.
Here is how the posted schedule has changed:
- March 6, 2025 version of the city's project page: construction spring 2026, completion fall 2026 (archived copy).
- Aug. 14, 2025 version of the same page: still construction spring 2026, completion fall 2026. This version was still live when the Internet Archive captured it on Feb. 13, 2026 (archived copy).
- April and May 2026 copies of the city's Engage Seattle Parks project hub: construction late 2026 or early 2027, completion fall 2027 (April 22 archived copy, May 19 archived copy).
- July 29, 2026 update, the current hub: construction spring 2027, completion winter 2028 (project hub).
The current hub says the team is "approaching the 90% Construction Documentation" stage and expects "to begin the bidding process in late 2026."
Othello Playground
The Othello off-leash area will go in the lawn in the southwest corner of Othello Playground (4351 S Othello St.). Like West Seattle, it will be fenced and have seating and a planted stormwater bioretention area.
- Aug. 14, 2025 version of the city's project page: construction spring 2026, completion fall 2026. That version was still live in a Jan. 7, 2026 capture (Sept. 1, 2025 archived copy, Jan. 7, 2026 archived copy).
- April 3, 2026 update, the current page: construction late 2026 or early 2027, completion fall 2027 (project page).
That page says the design was "approaching 60% Construction Documentation" as of spring 2026, with bidding expected in late 2026. It has not been updated since April. West Seattle Stadium's schedule slipped again after its spring update, and Othello's page does not show whether its schedule has changed too.
Smith Cove: a new off-leash area by year's end
Smith Cove Park sits on 23rd Ave. W, between the Magnolia Bridge and the Elliott Bay Marina. Its Phase 1 renovation includes a "new off-leash dog area," along with a natural-turf playfield, a bioretention basin with native plants and widened accessible trails, according to the city's project page. Phase 1 has a $3.3 million budget from the Seattle Park District.
The project page, updated July 31, 2026, says the contractor mobilized in late September 2025. It says the city anticipates "substantial completion later this year for partial reopening," with the grass field fenced until early summer 2027 so the turf can grow in.
The Board of Parks and Recreation Commissioners' Sept. 10, 2026 meeting minutes go further. They say the park "will be partially reopened by end of the year, with new off-leash area (OLA)," an accessible trail loop and new native plantings, and will fully reopen in summer 2027. The city has not posted an exact opening date.
What else is on the list
The city's off-leash areas page says the two new sites "add to 3 other planned OLA's at Smith Cove, Georgetown Flume, and South Park Community Center."
- Georgetown Flume (1035 S Myrtle St.) now appears on that page alongside the city's other off-leash areas. It is a 0.83-acre area on the Georgetown to South Park Connection trail, with a water station and a separate area for small and shy dogs.
- South Park Community Center: We could not find a city project page with a schedule for this site.
What this means for you
Don't plan around a 2026 opening in West Seattle or Othello. The earliest posted completion date for either site is now fall 2027.
Keep the leash on outside designated off-leash areas. Dogs must be leashed in city parks except inside designated off-leash areas. Citing the Seattle Municipal Code, the city also says dogs are not allowed at any time on organized athletic fields, beaches or children's play areas in Seattle parks. Both rules are on the city's off-leash areas page.
Follow the projects or ask questions:
- The West Seattle Stadium project hub has a sign-up form for updates. The project planner is listed as Jess Michalak, (206) 470-9147.
- The Othello Playground project page lists the same planner, at [email protected].
- Smith Cove updates are on its project page.
Where to take your dog in the meantime
All of these are on the city's official off-leash list. Browse more in our Seattle dog parks directory.
- West Seattle: Westcrest Park (9000 8th Ave. SW) sits on a hill above Boeing Field. Its off-leash area has a doggie drinking fountain, shade and benches. The parking lot is about 150 yards south of the off-leash area, and dogs must stay leashed between the two.
- Southeast Seattle: Genesee Park and Playfield (4316 S Genesee St.) has a 2.7-acre, fully fenced off-leash area with a gravel center the city says stays mud-free in winter, plus a Small and Shy Dog Area. Blue Dog Pond (1520 26th Ave. S) is 1.7 acres and fully fenced, but the city warns it can get muddy in the rainy season.
- Magnolia, until Smith Cove opens: Magnolia Manor Park (3500 28th Ave. W) has a 21,000-square-foot off-leash area with a "chuck it" game zone and a dog drinking fountain.
New this month: a leashed dog agility loop on Capitol Hill
This one isn't an off-leash area, but it is new. On Oct. 7, Seattle Parks and Recreation announced the Healthy Capitol Hill Hike. It is a self-guided walking route through the south Capitol Hill parks that starts at Cal Anderson Park (1635 11th Ave.). You can follow a 1.6-mile upper-body route or a 1.5-mile lower-body route, or connect them for a 5K.
The city's project hub says the latest phase added exercise equipment for people and dog agility pieces, "intended to be used with dogs on leash." The dog equipment includes:
- Weave poles at Broadway Hill Park
- Log jumps at Seven Hills Park
- An inclined A-frame at Tashkent Park
- A tunnel at Thomas Street Mini Park
- A hoop jump at Williams Place Park
The hub suggests bringing treats, waste bags and water. It also suggests checking with your vet first, since some activities aren't right for every breed or dog. It lists several intersections along the route where curb ramps are missing or may not meet every user's needs.
We'll update this article when the city posts an opening date for Smith Cove, puts either project out to bid, or explains the schedule change.
Sources
- Engage Seattle Parks, West Seattle Stadium Off-Leash Area Development (updated July 29, 2026), plus Internet Archive copies from April 22, 2026 and May 19, 2026
- Seattle Parks and Recreation, West Seattle Stadium Off-Leash Area Development (updated July 29, 2026), plus archived versions dated March 6, 2025 and Aug. 14, 2025 (captured Feb. 13, 2026)
- Seattle Parks and Recreation, Othello Playground Off-Leash Area Development (updated April 3, 2026), plus archived versions captured Sept. 1, 2025 and Jan. 7, 2026
- Seattle Parks and Recreation, Smith Cove Park Development (updated July 31, 2026)
- Board of Parks and Recreation Commissioners, meeting minutes, Sept. 10, 2026
- Seattle Parks and Recreation, Dog Off-Leash Areas & Map
- Seattle Parks and Recreation, Parkways: Healthy Capitol Hill Hike announcement (Oct. 7, 2026)
- Engage Seattle Parks, Healthy Capitol Hill Hike
