Orange County Parks Reaches Goal of 14 New Multi-purpose Fields
The Orange County Parks and Recreation Division is closing in on a milestone. Bomberos Field Park – a new 20-acre site with three lighted multi-purpose fields, a concession stand, restroom facilities and a playground – is set for a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday, August 4 at 9:30 a.m. with Orange County Mayor Jerry L. Demings and District 4 Commissioner Maribel Gomez Cordero. The $6.1 million project, located next to Orange County Fire Station 77 on Moss Park Road in Orlando, brings Parks to its long-range goal of creating 14 new multi-purpose fields, which was set in place in 2014.
“Demand has not been limited to a need for open park space,” explains Matt Suedmeyer, manager of the Orange County Parks and Recreation Division. “When the County embarked on this effort seven years ago, we only had six regulation-sized fields with lights in the entire County. We developed these multi-purpose fields in new and existing parks to accommodate the need for a growing population that wants to play field sports, including soccer, flag football, lacrosse and others.”
Six sites are home to these 14 fields, along with other amenities – all built with park County impact fees or INVEST money. Impact fees provide one way to help ensure that existing residents will not bear the cost of capital improvements and services necessitated by new development; residential development is assessed Transportation, Fire, Law Enforcement, Parks and Recreation, and School impact fees. The INVEST program allotted $20 million for the development of new parks or the improvement of existing parks and facilities.
- July 2016 Deputy Brandon Coates Community Park (new park) – two fields (no lights); other amenities include a restroom building, 1 playground, skate park and parking
Construction cost: $3,753,469
http://www.ocfl.net/CultureParks/Parks.aspx?m=dtlvw&d=110 - January 2017 Young Pine Community Park (new park) – three fields with lights; other amenities include a concession/restroom building, two playgrounds and parking.
Construction cost: $3,735,606
http://www.ocfl.net/CultureParks/Parks.aspx?m=dtlvw&d=111 - February 2018 Deputy Scott Pine Community Park (new park) – one field with lights and one football field with artificial grass; other amenities include the stadium with track (operated by OCPS – Windermere High School Athletics) and OCPS concession building and parking.
Construction cost: $8,542,898
http://www.ocfl.net/CultureParks/Parks.aspx?m=dtlvw&d=126 - April 2019 East Orange District Park (opened 2018) – two fields with lights; other amenities include a community center, a concession/restroom building and parking.
Construction cost: $4,207,558
http://www.ocfl.net/CultureParks/Parks.aspx?m=dtlvw&d=64 - March 2020 Barber Park – Phase 2 (park originally opened 1997) – two fields with lights; other amenities include a splash pad and two parking lots.
Construction cost: $3,380,071
http://www.ocfl.net/CultureParks/Parks.aspx?m=dtlvw&d=2 - Bomberos Field Park – three fields with lights; other amenities include a concession/restroom building, a playground and parking.
Construction cost: $5,100,000
http://www.ocfl.net/CultureParks/Parks.aspx?m=dtlvw&d=128
Total construction costs, including other park amenity developments: $29,467,673.
Orange County Parks and Recreation maintains nearly 15,000 acres of land with 109 parks, trails, boat ramps, recreation facilities and the historic Powell Cemetery. An estimated 13 million people visit Orange County parks and participate in programs annually.
Photo cutline: Aerial view of Orange County’s newest park, Bomberos Field Park.