PALM BAY, Florida - Residents in the northeast
portion of Palm BaY may soon benefit from a new playground thanks to a
donation from Advanced Recreational Concepts of Melbourne and BCI
Burke. The two companies working
in partnership with the city plan to construct the playground at no
cost to local taxpayers.
On Tuesday, November 13th, the Palm Bay City
Council will consider a plan to accept the donation to build a pirate
themed playground and safety surfacing at a designated
park site located at 1381 Riviera Boulevard.
"This is the Cadillac of
playgrounds," said Director of Parks and Recreation Heidi
Lapin. "We feel this unique donation will open the doors for endless
positive experiences for our community both now and into the future."
In mid-October, the president of Advanced
Recreational Concepts, Lazaro Gonzalez, approached Parks Director Lapin
about a collaborative project in which the Melbourne company in
partnership with BCI Burke would
construct the pirate ship playground complete with slides, climbing
features, interactive play panels and more.
The donation, valued at
approximately $65,000 is an effort by the companies to give back to the
community and partner with the city to offer positive,
healthy activities for residents. The project should be completed by
early January 2013 pending council approval.
If approved, the city would be required to
invest approximately $12,000 of park impact fees (not tax dollars) for
necessary site work to properly install the playground and safety
surfacing. "I was elated by this
opportunity to build a new playground in an area where children need a
place to play in their own neighborhood," Lapin added. "And the best
part about this, aside from the fact it’s all donated, is the community
will have total ownership because they are
going to help build it!"
Once approved the city and its partners will
host a community build to construct the playground under the
supervision of Advanced Recreational Concepts.
The location of the new playground was
determined by need, sustainability, and overall benefit to the
neighborhood. Future plans on the 14.5 acre designated park site
include parking for up to a dozen vehicles,
safety fencing, walkways, benches, picnic tables and replacing the
existing gazebo along with removal of invasive vegetation. Palm Bay spokesperson ,Yvonne Martinez, added that these
improvements will enhance the environmental aspects of the site and
improve the overall quality of life in the community.