Work is underway on a $2.4 million improvement project at the Land O’ Lakes Community Park, next to the Land O’ Lakes Community Center.
The project includes the addition of a lighted football field and a football practice field, a multipurpose trail, a multipurpose court, and 165 parking spaces, said Martha Campbell, assistant director of Pasco County’s parks and recreation department.
Work on the project began Nov. 17, she said, and the contractor has 200 days to complete the work. The community center, at 5401 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., will remain open while the project is being completed.
Sandy Graves, president of the Heritage Park Foundation, is delighted that efforts have started to upgrade the park. The foundation has pushed for park improvements for years.
Ultimately, the foundation wants to see a stage added to create a community gathering space, Graves said. Members are busy raising local funding for that project, but they also hope state officials will contribute to the effort.
Graves appeared at the Dec. 3 meeting of the Pasco County Legislative Delegation, asking its members to see if they can find any funding to help make the foundation’s vision a reality. Graves hopes that state lawmakers can provide $75,000 in funding for the project, which would be matched with local funds.
“Our community is ready and willing to do it,” Graves said, but it needs some help.
She envisions a time when students will perform band and choral concerts at the park, and present plays there, as well. She thinks it will be a great venue for local festivals and for entertainment, such as Shakespeare in the Park.
Heritage Park Foundation members also imagine a time when park visitors will stroll along a path lined with historical markers that help to tell the story of the community’s history and families.
In addition to the walking trail, which will feature markers detailing facts about the area’s history, the park also will have an outdoor stage. The Heritage Park Foundation has advocated for such an amenity for years to provide a focal point for community gatherings.
While the county works to create improvements to the park, Pasco County Schools is working on a major reconstruction and new building project at Sanders Memorial STEAM Magnet School. STEAM stands for science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics.
That school, which will become the county’s first magnet facility, is adjacent to the community center and park.
The school board and county officials have forged an agreement that allows both parties to benefit from each other’s projects and will create greater public access to their facilities. School board member Cynthia Armstrong lauded the partnership as being a wise use of taxpayer dollars.
Published December 10, 2014
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