City council proclaims June as Pride Month on Mercer Island/ Briefs
Published 2:30 pm Friday, June 5, 2026
Mercer Island City Council proclaimed June as Pride Month on the Island at its June 2 regular meeting.
Council approved a proclamation on its consent agenda that reads, in part: “Mercer Island is a welcoming community that strives to honor the contributions, experience, and dignity of its residents; and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people (LGBTQIA+ people) enrich our neighborhoods, schools, businesses, and civic life.”
The city — which notes that it celebrates the progress made toward equal rights while recognizing the ongoing journey toward full acceptance, protection and understanding — will host a “Pride in the Park Night” celebration from 6:30-8:30 p.m. on July 30 at Mercerdale Park during its Mostly Music in the Park event featuring ABBAgraphs.
WORLD CUP
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will soon be headed to Seattle with the first regional match set for noon on June 15 as Belgium takes on Egypt.
On that day — and during other Seattle Stadium-hosted games on June 19, 24 and 26 and July 1 and 6 — the city will offer free parking for Mercer Island residents at the Mercer Island Community and Events Center. For off-Islanders, parking will be $25 via the ParkMobile app.
“Your (city) team is fully mobilized and ready for these mid-June to early-July events and we anticipate they will have a big impact on the Island, specifically traffic and transit and the train,” said City Manager Jessi Bon during her June 2 city council meeting report.
In order for staff to focus its attention on the parking lot, the community center will not be offering its regular drop-in programs on match days. The center will be open, but with limited services.
Check out the city’s World Cup information page at: https://tinyurl.com/5cu77krb
LUTHER BURBANK WATERFRONT IMPROVEMENTS
In what Bon called a “monster of a project to permit,” the city is finally advertising construction bids for its Luther Burbank Park waterfront improvement project.
“I’m not sure I can even find the words to describe the milestone that we have reached here,” said Bon, noting that the project design commenced in 2020 and the project was part of the park’s master plan that was adopted in about 2006.
The city has received more than $5 million in state and county grant funding for the project, which requires more than 20 permits from eight federal, state and local agencies. The project will feature dock repairs and reconfigurations; pathway, beach and plaza upgrades; and utilities and other infrastructure improvements.
Bon said the city will close bidding on June 30, staff expects to inform council of the bid award in July and the construction work should be completed in 15-18 months.
