The Central Park amenities and community playground redesign are among the city projects that are slowly but surely moving toward completion. Images courtesy of: City of Winter Park
The time between planning and completion of city projects can be long, with unforeseen budget and design changes delaying the schedule. The City of Winter Park is currently monitoring several ongoing improvements and additions that were approved last year and earlier.
The most well-known and lengthy timeline is the burying of the electric utility’s power lines. The project is not yet complete, but city officials cite a lack of available materials and difficulties in excavation as reasons for delaying the project, which is now scheduled to be completed by 2030.
City staff has updated the32789 with a list of ongoing projects that remain a priority and are moving forward despite delays.
West Meadow Additions
The plan for new amenities and a storage facility in Central Park West Meadow was unveiled last summer and is awaiting a start date. About $750,000 of the CRA’s 2024 budget was earmarked for permanent restrooms, a landscaped plaza and shaded seating to complement the farmers market and seasonal events. Additional restrooms and design changes inspired by the Amtrak station required additional permits, but the project seemed to slip off the radar after the city commission requested the changes. Clarissa Howard, director of communications for the city of Winter Park, told the32789 that a bid for the project should be completed by the end of the summer. Once a contractor is approved, a construction schedule can be set.
Community playground
Renovations are needed to bring the 37-year-old playground at Martin Luther King, Jr. Park up to current safety standards. Resident input helped create a water playground, handicap accessible features, and reuse of the iconic towers that influenced the name “Castle Park.”
The commission recently approved the construction contract, and Howard said city staff have already begun working with the contractor on a timeline to begin after hurricane season and possibly the holidays. Parks and Recreation Director Jason Seeley previously told the32789 that once construction begins, construction will take about four months, barring any weather-related issues.
Unit corner
The community space at the intersection of Denning Drive and Morse Boulevard was designed with input from the Hannibal Square Heritage Center and a residents’ committee. Groundbreaking for the project took place in January. It consists of a 9-foot-tall bronze statue of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. set within a concentric pattern of stone benches and a memorial wall with quotes from Dr. King and the names of the black families who lived on the property before they were displaced by dispossession in the 1950s.
The area will provide additional space for events, including the annual Unity Heritage Festival commemorating Dr. King’s birthday. Original plans were to make the space available for the 2025 festival, but the timing depends largely on the placement of the statue, which is currently in the works and expected by the fall. “Staff will discuss with the artist how the larger-than-life statue will be transported and placed at the site,” Howard said. “Once we have a better handle on the installation process, we will have a firm completion date.”
Seven Oaks Park
The $4.96 million green space project at the intersection of Orange Avenue and Denning Drive suffered several delays shortly after the seven Virginia live oaks were planted in January 2022. The impact of inflation on labor, trades and construction materials pushed the final price about 11% over the original budget, and design changes ranging from public restrooms to brick walkways required additional permits. However, construction equipment and crews are on site, the land is cleared and work is underway. “Depending on weather and unforeseen circumstances, completion is still scheduled for early 2025,” Howard said. Palmetto Avenue will remain closed between Cypress Avenue and Denning Drive, and the adjacent walkway along Orange Avenue will also remain inaccessible throughout the duration of the project.
Is there an ongoing city project that interests you? Send an email to [email protected].
