May 21, 2009
Garden to memorialize Griego is in the works
In a corner outside Gould Hall now largely forgotten, a garden will memorialize Rebecca Griego, who was shot to death inside Gould two years ago by a former boyfriend. Griego, then 26, was a program coordinator in the Department of Urban Design & Planning.
The College of Built Environments, which occupies Gould, has approved a 1000-square-foot site on the northwest corner of the lower forecourt, near University Way NE and NE 40th Street.
A committee that includes Rachel Griego, sister of Rebecca Griego, is working with Daniel Winterbottom, a UW professor of landscape architecture, on a design that will include elements of a Japanese garden.
Total cost of the garden is not yet determined, but the committee is working with staff members at the college to raise funds. So far, the UW Real Estate Club and the UW Graduate and Professional Student Senate have contributed a total of $800. Assuming the design is completed and money raised, construction of the garden could begin in September or October, said Meghan Pinch, a friend of Griego who holds a master of urban planning degree from the UW.
“We envision a garden that symbolizes the spirit of community that Rebecca helped to foster,” Pinch said.
For more information on the Rebecca Griego Memorial Garden or to contribute, please contact Carolyn Wennblom, assistant dean for advancement and external relations, College of the Built Environment at wennblom@u.washington.edu or 206-685-0175.
