The Seattle Times
Seattle native Jimi Hendrix is considered by many to be the greatest guitar player who ever lived. Yet 41 years after his death, the city continues to struggle to find a proper way to honor the late musician. The latest project aimed at commemorating Hendrix is a park near the Northwest African American Museum in the Central District. Dubbed the Jimi Hendrix Park, it would be the first large-scale public monument to Hendrix; the Experience Music Project has an exhibit devoted especially to the guitarist (paid entry is required), the Woodland Park Zoo has a plaque commemorating him, and there is also a statue on Capitol Hill as well as a bust of Hendrix encased in Garfield High School’s library. A preliminary design of the park was unveiled last week and includes amenities like a “Wall of Sound” that will play music with outlets for plugging instruments, 150-feet-tall steel sculptures, a stage for performances, and lots of Pauwlonia trees (which produce purple flowers). It’s estimated that developing the land where the park is planned to open could cost $2 million. The Jimi Hendrix Park Foundation, which is spearheading the project, has already raised about $650,000.