I
t's anything but business as usual at the city's parks and recreation department as officials juggle about $25 million worth of projects.
"It's unprecedented. We've never had this many construction projects at once," said parks superintendent Jody Rivers. "It's a very exciting time for us."
The endeavors include everything from upgrading benches to building new recreation centers. Not content with "plain Jane" parks, Rivers dreams of giving each of the city's 28 parks a distinct personality so that visitors have a different experience at each one.
In the meantime, the city has finished several projects, including adding two neighborhood parks and putting in new playground equipment at Laurel Hills Park. Three other major undertakings, including construction of two community centers and a waterfront park, should be complete within three to eight months.
There also are plans for a park that accommodates disabled and able-bodied children. That project is planned for 13.5 acres at the Congress Avenue Park and Tennis Center.
"This is a wonderful time to live in Boynton Beach, no matter which part of the city you live in you have access to several places for physical activity," Recreation & Parks Director Wally Majors wrote in the city's recent Funfare! Magazine.
Projects under way include:
• Carolyn Sims Community Center at Wilson Park (311 N.W. 13th Ave.): This is the department's biggest project, with $7.5 million in improvements, including a new pool with interactive water features and a triple slide, a two-story, 14,000-square-foot recreation center, two play areas designed for different age groups, basketball courts, picnic areas and a multipurpose field.
The new recreation center replaces the 4,000-square-foot basic building and will include a weight room, a game room, meeting room, after-care programs and possibly a computer center.
Although the center previously had a pool, the new one will have amenities "that will add a little spice," and still have room for swimming lessons, Rivers said.
The park's Floribbean design will be reflected in the recreation center's tin roof and Bahama shutters and Florida colors, said Rivers, who expects the project, dedicated to late city employee Carolyn Sims, to be finished in November.
What's unique here: It's the city's only public pool.
• Intracoastal Park (2240 N. Federal Highway): A new two-story, $3.4 million clubhouse "will be our gem," predicts Rivers. Its million-dollar water view will be even more breathtaking from the second-story wraparound balcony, she said.
The first floor of the 7,500-square-foot Florida-themed building will be used for recreation, youth and adult programs; the second floor will be available for public lease for reunions, meetings, weddings and other events.
Scheduled to open in September, the building will make the water-themed park unique, said Rivers. The park features a playground, picnic pavilions, walking trail and a place to kayak or canoe.
• Jaycee Park (2700 block of south Federal Highway): Getting 5 acres of waterfront property on South Federal Highway was a stroke of luck. "It's not often the city gets to purchase land on the Intracoastal," Rivers said of the spot bought from the Florida Inland Navigation District.
As planned, the $1.5 million park will include picnic pavilions, a large playground, walking trails, boccie courts, a boardwalk and educational signs. The park is expected to be ready by February.
What's unique here: It's one of the last remaining spots for a park on the Intracoastal.
Other projects include a $430,000 renovation of the popular Boat Club Park at U.S. 1 and Northeast 21st Avenue, which will include renovated or new restrooms, new picnic shelters and landscaping.
The city's largest park, the 25-acre Congress Avenue Park and Tennis Center, which features a tennis center, also is slated for some major changes. Thirteen of the acres are undeveloped, a perfect spot for a "barrier free, boundless playground" park for people of varying abilities, city officials say.
The park will include a small amphitheater, a "sensory" garden and three playgrounds with increasing challenges for disabled people, wetland and upland forest areas, a splash fountain, a koi pond and a recreation center that will offer after-school programs for children with disabilities.
"This is more than a place to play; it will increase life and social skills as well as physical skills," said Rivers.
About $2.5 million has been set aside for the project, which could cost as much as $10 million. Fund-raising efforts will begin soon for the project, which will be done in phases, Rivers said.
"It will have lots of experiences around every corner and something for everyone," Rivers said.
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