ZEPHYRHILLS – The City of Zephyrhills held a grand opening Feb. 13 for its first new community park in 40 years.
Hercules Park is adjacent to Zephyrhills High and Woodland Elementary schools at 38100 County Road 54.
Entrances to the park are from U.S. 30 (Gall Boulevard) northbound near Culvers and from east- or westbound County Road 54 near Zephyrhills High School.
Hercules Park features a nature-based playground, splashpad, open play field, restroom, sidewalk around scenic trails, bike trails, picnic areas and enough parking spaces to accommodate 54 vehicles.
It cost $7.6 million to plan, develop and build what City Manager William Poe Jr. called the “showcase park.” Poe said Zephyrhills’ citizens would say, “wow,” after they saw the park and all that it had to offer.
Most of the funding for the park came from the federal government through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 enacted during the COVID-19 pandemic, Poe said.
“I could have never dreamed what I’m seeing today,” Mayor Melonie Bahr Monson said during the grand opening.
Monson described Hercules Park as a place where families could come together to build stronger bonds; a place where kids could create memories that last a lifetime; and a place where people could gather to commune with nature, to step away from the stresses of the world and to renew and refresh their lives.
“It’s been truly a team effort for all of us to work together,” said James Pankonin, vice president of Kimley-Horn, the company that designed the park. “Without the participation of everyone working together and working as a team we couldn’t really done what we did here.”
Johnny Santos, of Wharton-Smith, emphasized the commitment the company made to build Hercules Park. He said the company put some extra benches into the park so parents would have a place to sit and watch their children play.
Pasco County had previously operated Hercules Aquatic Center where Hercules Park is now located. That facility, including its swimming pool, was closed in 2009 due to budgetary constraints.
The property’s ownership was then turned over to Pasco County Schools. Zephyrhills obtained control of the 12-acre site in June 2018.
The actual planning for Hercules Park began in late 2022 when Kimley-Horn sat down with city officials and came up with designs that would honor the history of the land.
Hercules Powder Company’s Camp #39 had produced pine oil, resin and turpentine from trees on the site while in business from 1946 to 1962. It was at one time the city’s largest employer with 150 people.
Several of the employees rented rooms in company-built prefabricated homes on the property. There was also a commissary on the site and Hercules Park Camp #39 even had its own baseball team.