- April 23, 2024
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The playground at Holland Park will feature poured-in-place rubber surface. Photos by Brian McMillan
T.J. McNitt, owner of Verdego, walks with Carl Cote, Palm Coast construction manager.
The surface of the playground at Holland Park will be cushioned with these rubber foam pads.
The theme of the playground is "Sugar Mill," a nod to the ruins at Bulow Plantation. There will also be a brick path leading to the playground, inspired by the Old Brick Road in Flagler County.
The playground at Holland Park will feature poured-in-place rubber surface. Photos by Brian McMillan
C.J. Johnston, a lead at the city's Public Works Department, joins Public Works Supervisor Mike Marinelli, City Manager Jim Landon and Communications Manager Cindi Lane.
Holland Park was named for former City Councilman James Holland.
Hurricane Matthew damage at the park and elsewhere in the city has diverted the attention of Public Works employees, causing some delays in the Holland Park renovation project.
After the city of Palm Coast’s long struggle with an unresponsive construction company, Hurricane Matthew caused even more delays in the renovation of Holland Park.
“It's almost like this project is haunted,” Palm Coast City Manager Jim Landon said on a walking tour of the park on the afternoon of Oct. 21.
Landon announced at the Oct. 18 City Council meeting that he is directing the city attorney to begin the process of canceling the contract with Tumbleson White Construction because of delays and lack of cooperation with the subcontractors and with the city. It’s the first time the city has ever taken such an extreme measure as canceling a contract on a large project.
Speaking of Tumbleson White Construction, Landon said: “They are more of an anchor than helping move the project forward.”
Now that the city has taken over the project, things are moving along, and Landon said the park should be open in 60 to 90 days.
T.J. McNitt is the owner of Verdego, which was hired by Tumbleson White Construction to landscape the park. “Once the city came and we were able to coordinate directly with them,” he said, “it's amazing what we were able to do in two or three weeks.”
By the time it opens, the park will have been closed for almost two years, since Feb. 2, 2015, or about nine months longer than was expected.
However, Landon said, the project is not over budget. It should still cost about $4 million for this phase.
Residents will notice some improvements when the park is opened. Where there used to be one dog park with dirt patches, there will now be two dog parks; one is for large dogs and includes a stormwater pond, and the other is for small dogs.
Whereas the road that led around the playground in the past was a dead-end at the Palm Coast Historical Society’s building, the road now extends all the way around in a loop to the entrance.
The basketball court, tennis courts and shuffleboard courts are being resurfaced.
350,000 square feet of sod will be installed overall.
250 trees were delivered this week.
60-90 days remain before the park will be reopened.
$4 million is the cost of the project.
In the next three to five years, more work will be done at Holland Park: There will be a splash pad added near the playground, and a shade structure will also be added. For now, the playground will be shaded by some oak trees that are being planted.
In addition, the pavilion areas will be upgraded in an upcoming phase.
Holland Park is named for James Holland, a former City Council member and the father of Mayor-elect Milissa Holland. Originally planned as a school site, it was the first Palm Coast park.
“We've made great progress in the past few weeks,” Communications Manager Cindi Lane said. “We know the community is anxious to come back to our original park.”
