New Year’s closures at the City of Lakewood
The City of Lakewood operations are closed Wednesday Jan. 1, 2025 in observation of New Year’s Day.
City Hall, the front lobby of the Lakewood police station and non-essential city services will close at 3 p.m. on New Year’s Eve, Tuesday, Dec. 31 so that Lakewood employees can spend time with their families.
Regular operations and hours will be in place on all other days with City Hall opening at 8:30 a.m. and closing at 5 p.m.
The Lakewood Police Department will maintain its regular patrols. Police services are not impacted by the closures or holidays.
Thank you and Happy New Year from the City of Lakewood!
Lakewood officers shop with 21 families
On Dec. 22, 2024 a group of volunteers swooped into the Lakewood Walmart to shop with Lakewood families and wrap gifts as part of the annual “Shop with an Officer” event.
Organized by the Lakewood Officer’s Charity, officers have hosted this event at Lakewood Walmart for 12 years. The families selected for this annual event are nominated by Lakewood police officers and detectives throughout the year.
On the day of the event family members – often children – are picked up by off-duty Lakewood police officers at their home and escorted to the store in a police vehicle. Once there they grab a cart and walk the aisles picking out gifts for family members. After purchasing the items, they are wrapped by a group of volunteers – usually family members of the officers.
The Lakewood Officer’s Charity is funded by donations from Lakewood police officers who allocate a portion of their paycheck to support the charity. The charity also accepts community donations. It uses the money raised to give back to the Lakewood community, including through annual programs like its Holiday Meals and Shop with an Officer event. Want to learn more about how you can help? Email Sgt. Timothy Borchardt.
Wards Lake Park to close Jan. 7, 2025
On Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025 Wards Lake Park will close to the public. It will remain closed through November 2025.
The closure is in preparation of major improvements planned for the park.
The Lakewood City Council approved a $3.2 million contract this month, awarding Redside Construction the contract to complete the first two phases of planned improvements.
Once complete, the improvements will make significant changes to the park located off 84th Street SW near the northeastern city limits. Planned upgrades include:
- ADA accessible loop trail with a 170-foot-long bridge over the lake.
- Ten-foot-wide paved trials and gravel paths throughout the site.
- A new playground and picnic shelter.
- A pump bike track.
- 3-acre bike track and skills area.
- New restroom facility.
- Prairie restoration and a bird blind overlooking the lake.
- Public art and landscape improvements near the entry.
- Parking lot expansion.
- New off-leash dog park.
- New neighborhood park and playground at 25th Ave Ct South.
- Landscape improvements.
During construction the public is asked to please stay out of the park and obey all closure signs. This is for public safety and the safety of construction workers in the park.
Save the date: MLK Beloved Community Welcome Walk
Join members of the Lakewood MLK Committee on Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025 for the City of Lakewood’s annual MLK celebration.
This year we’re returning to an in-person event. The event combines the city’s annual Welcome Walk with a celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. We’ll have welcome guides to show you where to go when you arrive. Walks are planned throughout the event around the one-mile paved Waughop Lake trail in the park. Along the lake path various traits of a Beloved Community will be shared, prompting people to think about how they can incorporate these traits into their everyday lives.
The event will include an opportunity for people to connect with friends and meet new people.
Participants will enjoy live music from DJ Super Dave, vendors and food trucks. There will be giveaways of mugs, tote bags, bookmarks and more.
Artist Reception: Jan. 13, 2025
Continue the celebration on Monday, Jan. 13, 2025 from 5-7 p.m. at Lakewood City Hall for an in-person Artist Reception featuring local artist Rodney King. King’s work will be on display, and he will be there to answer questions and share about his work.
There will also be live Jazz from saxophonist Maureese Itson, a spoken word performance by Shaidaja Wilson-Dunham, refreshments and more.
Council Corner: What’s on Deck
The Lakewood City Council has no more meetings in 2024. The next Lakewood City Council meeting is Monday, Jan. 6, 2025 at 7 p.m. in Council Chambers.
Police Chief’s Corner
The Police Chief’s Corner will return after the holidays.
Community events
Lakewood Playhouse presents “It’s a Wonderful Life: A live radio play”
Head to the Lakewood Playhouse in Lakewood Towne Center to experience a classic holiday tale performed like a 1940’s style live radio play. This unique take on a familiar tale honors Lakewood Playhouse’s history of presenting radio plays while also exploring how “It’s a Wonderful Life” speaks to a modern world.
The show runs through Sunday, Dec. 29. Shows are Friday and Saturday 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. For ticket information call the Box Office at (253) 588-0042 or visit www.lakewoodplayhouse.org.
Call to Poets: Submit Your Poem for Lakewold Gardens’ Winter Garden Poetry
Lakewold Gardens is seeking original, unpublished poems for inclusion in the 2025 Winter Poetry in the Gardens event. Poems should be no longer than approximately 1,000 words or no more than five minutes in duration when read aloud, preferably with a theme related to gardens and/or the celebration of nature.
Participants must be Washington State residents and be available to record their poems and have headshot photos taken onsite at Lakewold Gardens the week of Feb. 10, 2025. Poets of all backgrounds and ages are invited to participate. Lakewold Gardens strives to promote contributions from communities that have been traditionally underrepresented. Poets who identify with or are part of these communities are strongly encouraged to apply.
Selected participants will be celebrated at a special event on February 22, 2025 where they will be invited to read their poems aloud. Only one entry per poet will be accepted. Entries must be submitted before Jan. 17, 2025. Learn more.
Sign up for Lakewood Alert (Code Red)
The City of Lakewood uses Code Red, an alert service, to notify residents of important information happening in the city.
If there is an emergency that requires public notification, we will use Lakewood Alert as one way to communicate. We will also post information to our website and social media channels.
Subscribers can sign up to receive text and email alerts. People can also sign up for important non-emergency updates including information about road impacts from large events in the city or information about special events.
Find out more and sign up today.
Road project updates
Lakewood Station Access Project: Sound Transit is investing nearly $70 million in road improvements in and around the Lakewood Sounder Station to improve roads in the Lakeview and Springbrook neighborhoods. Recent survey work added one-foot squares of white paint on certain roads. Construction is not anticipated to begin until the fall of 2025.
84th and Pine: Final items to complete are installation of luminaires on the traffic signal poles and signage corrections.
Farwest Drive SW: Once Puget Sound Energy brings power to the lights and the state Department of Transportation signs off on its final inspection the project is complete.
Rose Road Sanitary Sewer Project: Work is anticipated to start early 2025.
Steilacoom Boulevard Weller to 87th Ave: Active Construction, Inc. is expected to start construction in early 2025.
South Tacoma Way Overlay 96th to Steilacoom Blvd.: Miles Resources is expected to start work in early spring 2025.
South Tacoma Way & 92nd signal replacement: A contract is expected to go to the Lakewood City Council in January for approval. Work is expected to begin in early 2025.
Parks project updates
Each week updates will be shared highlighting the work being done to improve our parks for public use.
American Lake Park: Construction began in September with the replacement of the bulkhead and new retaining walls. Work will continue through winter with the upcoming installation of new restroom, plaza, ADA ramp to the beach, shelter and play equipment upgrades. Work is expected to be complete by early summer.
Wards Lake Park Improvements: The park will close to the public Jan. 7, 2025 through November 2025 for construction. Planned improvements include:
- ADA accessible loop trail with a 170-foot-long bridge over the lake.
- Ten-foot-wide paved trials and gravel paths throughout the site.
- A new playground and picnic shelter.
- A pump bike track.
- New restroom facility.
- Prairie restoration and a bird blind overlooking the lake.
- Public art and landscape improvements near the entry.
- Parking lot expansion.
- New off-leash dog park.
- 3-acre bike track and skills area.
- New neighborhood park and playground at 25th Ave Ct South.
- Landscape improvements.
The Big One: Relocation of the Tenzler Log: Construction of a shelter around the log is nearing completion. The log will be refinished to protect and seal the monument, and a wire mesh installation will be installed in January to protect the round it in its new home at Fort Steilacoom Park. Work is expected to be complete by late January, weather permitting.