The park consists of a circular ring with a large central greenspace that is surrounded by a moat and walking trails.

The idea for a park in downtown Bellevue was created from civic and private leadership, which saw the City's potential for shaping its future during a time of rapid growth and development.

As a first step in formulating a competition program, a survey was distributed to 55,000 businesses and households asking what they envisioned in a downtown park.

A majority of the 5,000 respondents indicated a preference for a pedestrian-oriented green space that would remain relatively free of buildings and special interest facilities.

The design itself called for a circular promenade for walking which defined a 10-acre (40,000 m2) open space bordered by a canopy of trees, and a continuous canal terminating in a giant waterfall and reflecting pool.

Between the promenade and surrounding streets, the design proposed opportunities to create small park venues, such as formal gardens, outdoor performance areas, picnic spaces, and children's playgrounds, which all ranked highly in the citizens' survey.

The original monument consisted of a plaque with the names of three men killed in the war, three elm trees, and a 48-star US flag flying on a 65-foot (20 m) pole.

[12] Downtown Park utilized a unique funding mechanism, heavily reliant on donations from the community.