Although talked about for some time, the former Comcast property east of Strawberry Hill Park has finally been purchased.

A $1.1 million grant from the Bainbridge Island Parks & Trails Foundation has funded the 9-acre addition. The grant funds the acquisition by the BI Metro Park & Recreation District.

The lightly wooded property is adjacent to Strawberry Hill Park along High School Road, making it a natural acquisition to expand the park. A concept planning process is underway.

The property expands Strawberry Hill Park to 38 acres, following acquisition of an adjacent 10-acre parcel, the former Hayashida property northwest of the park, in 2022. That property was acquired for the expanded dog park and planned bike park.

Strawberry Hill Park has now more than doubled in size, from its original 17 acres, in two years. Both additions were acquired thanks to single, private gifts to the nonprofit foundation.

Mary Meier, foundation executive director, said, “Islanders will benefit from this acquisition for generations to come.”

Strawberry Hill is one of the island’s oldest parks, established in 1966 on the former site of a Nike missile installation and before that, a historic agricultural district of Japanese American and Filipino American farmers. The foundation is now fundraising to build a new bike park on the former Hayashida property. For more go to www.bikestrawberry.org