Say hello to Edson Park, named for philanthropist Orin Edson, at ribbon-cutting at 1 tomorrow

General Article
July 18, 2002

Don't miss the ribbon-cutting ceremony set for 1 p.m. Friday, July 19, for the center's new Edson Park, situated in the northern triangle of the Day Campus between the Weintraub and Hutchinson buildings.

A tranquil combination of grass, trees, waterfalls and benches, the park is named for Orin Edson, founder of Bayliner Marine who has made generous and repeated donations to the center.

In 1992, Edson contributed more than $1 million to the campaign to construct the Weintraub and Hutchinson buildings, and the center named Jennifer Pelton Auditorium in memory of one of his close friends, who died of cancer.

A second $1 million gift followed in 1999, to fund a shared resource for groundbreaking T-cell research. In 2000, Edson established the J. Orin Edson Foundation and named the center as one of three beneficiaries. Gifts from the foundation have been substantial.

Edson Park is designed as a place for faculty and staff and the public alike to relax, enjoy the view of Lake Union and eat lunch. The public will enjoy access to the park, but access to the Weintraub and Hutchinson buildings behind it will be restricted by a locked gate that can be opened only by faculty and staff with card keys.

The waterfalls, designed by Murase Associates landscape architects and constructed from hand-picked stones, feed an irregularly shaped pool about 28-by-40 feet.

General contractor is Turner Construction, and overall park design is by Zimmer Gunsul Frasca.

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