Click to View Michael Brunk’s Photo Slideshow

Saturday morning (June 13th) at 10am sharp, the Highline High School Pirates marching band kicked off the grand opening ceremonies by marching (and boisterously playing) down SW 152nd to the main podium at Burien’s new Town Square where numerous local and state dignitaries spoke to a crowd estimated by local police as “well over 1,000.”

Here’s a video segment we call “Whaddaya Think?” shot by your B-Town Blog video production crew of Mark Neuman and Bart Bryan:

The day’s celebration served as the culmination of over 12 years of the city’s planning for the $193 million “town square as the central focal point for the downtown core” as first approved in 1997, then developed and built beginning in 1999 until construction began in 2004 to Saturday’s festive ribbon cutting ceremony.

Temps were in the lower 70s with a slight hazy cloud cover that made for good lighting for the politicians, developers and library folk who spoke, including:

• Burien Mayor Joan McGilton
• King County Library Director Bill Ptacek
• Congressman Jim McDermott
• State Rep. (and Burien native) Dave Upthegrove
• Dan Rosenfeld of Urban Partners (another Burien son)
• King County Council Chair Dow Constantine
• City Councilmember Lucy Krakowiak
• Judge Richard Eadie

Free tours of the new Library building, Town Square condos and city hall were provided all day, and foot traffic was busy throughout. As children explored the new kids section of the library or bounced in the bouncy houses outside, parents enjoyed free refreshments and giveaways from local Burien businesses.

We’ll have more videos and photos soon, so be sure to come back to your most up-to-date local news source right here!