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Donaldson Park To Get 'Water Park,' Repaved Parking Lot
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Published: August 11, 2008
AVON PARK - The city scaled back on plans to rebuild Donaldson Park's parking lot after it found out that it would only get $135,611 of a $200,000 grant it requested, Projects Manager Maria Sutherland said last week.
The downtown park will eventually have a "zero-depth water park," featuring interactive squirting fountains similar to the ones installed at the YMCA of Highlands County in Sebring.
Plans originally called for the parking lot's reconstruction as well as new water retention area. However, Sutherland said the city's Main Street Community Redevelopment Agency Advisory Board decided it will only repave and re-stripe the existing parking lot.
Donaldson Park already has a swimming area and a boat ramp on Lake Verona.
The state's Department of Environmental Protection gave Avon Park two separate $135,611 grants to improve downtown's Donaldson Park and the Southside's Aline McWhite Park. Members of the Southside CRA Advisory Board decided last month to use their own funds to make up for the shortfall on the Aline McWhite project. There, the city plans to install new playground equipment, seating areas and an improved basketball court.
Aline McWhite has been closed for the past three years.
Sutherland could not provide a precise timeline for the construction at Donaldson Park because the city first needs to have a contractor selected to do the job.
"I don't see us starting anything until at least October," she said. The city's fiscal year begins Oct. 1.
Museum Avenue
By early October, Sutherland also expected contractors to begin narrowing Museum Avenue.
Even though she said two months ago that the construction would start by now, by this time the city has contractors bidding on the project.
Plans call for new parking spaces near the Depot Museum and new street curbs and additional landscaping to turn Museum Avenue into a two-lane street. The landscaping includes a giant caterpillar and butterfly garden.
The project to narrow Museum Avenue will be covered by a $1.1 million state grant.
Doug Carman can be reached at 386-5838 or dcarman@highlandstoday.com
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