Park Hours:
Open ½ hour before sunrise
Close ½ hour after sunset
Park Overview
Located near the base of the 11th Street Bridge, Melanie Jan LaPlant Dressel Park was once home to a steam plant prior to the reclamation of the Foss Waterway as part of Superfund remediation that began in the 1980s.
About the Park
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Park History
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Located near the base of the 11th Street Bridge, Melanie Jan LaPlant Dressel Park was once
home to a steam plant prior to the reclamation of the Foss Waterway as part of Superfund remediation that began in the 1980s. The playful design of the park provides learning opportunities on Tacoma’s industrial past and the decades-long effort to reclaim and restore our shoreline for future generations.Previously referred to as “Central Park,” Tacoma City Council formally renamed this exciting new neighborhood park on May 9, 2018 to recognize the community contributions of the beloved Tacoma banking leader who passed away in 2017.
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Name Origin
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Melanie Jan LaPlant Dressel (1952-2017) was a Tacoma banker and community leader. She rose through the Bank of California and
Puget Sound Bank, eventually helping found Columbia Bank, where she worked until her sudden passing. A devoted wife, mother and grandmother, Dressel also served on many community boards, garnering awards for her business and community leadership.Those who worked with Melanie describe her as an extraordinary leader and visionary, who left a caring imprint on our community that will carry on for years to come. It is fitting for this park to be named in her honor as she recognized the need for local families to recreate in the Foss Waterway community and put the wheels in motion to make it a reality.
Thank you, Melanie.
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Accessibility Information
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Melanie’s Park was designed and built to ADA accessibility standards, which includes:- Pathways around the park and to nearly all the playground equipment.
- Restrooms with changing tables
- Accessibly sized benches and picnic tables
There are accessible routes throughout the entire park and each feature, like the log jam play structure (engineered wood chips), play mound and hillslide (synthetic turf) and bridge to tower rope climber (synthetic turf).
Some play features are designed for a climbing user-experience and will not be ADA accessible, including the spiral tube slide, rope climber and sling seats. Click here to enlarge the accessibility map below.
Interpretative Signage
- Crab
- Hummingbird
- Salmon
bəsqʷ is the Lushootseed word for “crab.” Hear the pronounciation below:
tətiʔəd is the Lushootseed word for “hummingbird.” Hear the pronunciation below:
sčədadxʷ is the Lushootseed word for “salmon.” Hear the pronunciation below:
