The City of Gainesville’s Wild Spaces & Public Places program and the Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs Department are excited to announce that major renovations at Forest Park have begun. Located at 4501 SW 20th Ave., the work is anticipated to be completed in the fall of 2023.
Community engagement was key throughout the planning and design phases of this project to better understand the needs of the park’s user groups and the neighborhood. Well-attended community open houses allowed for voting and discussion of the future improvements.
Improvements to the popular soccer fields at the park include:
· improved field drainage
· field lighting
· addition of a 2/3-sized soccer field
· turf replacement and irrigation modifications
· 13 new shade structures
· 30 new bleachers
Additional improvements to the park include:
· pickleball and basketball court surfacing
· creation of small and large off-leash dog parks with amenities
· a new pavilion
· two competition-quality sand volleyball courts
· parking lot lighting
· 7 water fountains with bottle fillers
· landscaping
· benches
· tables
· fencing
A copy of the final plan set for Forest Park can be viewed here.
Blackwater Construction Services, LLC, a small, local business, is the general contractor for the project. The approximate cost of the project is $2,667,877 for construction and $890,000 for sports lighting by NGU Sports Lighting, LLC. To support the renovation of Forest Park, the Florida Legislature awarded Gainesville’s Wild Spaces & Public Places program a $200,000 Florida Recreation Development Assistance Program (FRDAP) matching grant.
