Work already has begun to carve Plant City’s newest park — Midtown’s Village Green — out of a piece of vacant land just south of downtown.
City officials hope to complete the project by October, but before landscaping and other features can be added, a fountain — the centerpiece of the park — has to be installed.
Although no date has been set, the fountain — which was ordered from a company in South Florida and originally crafted in Europe from white Italian marble — should arrive in the Winter Strawberry Capital of the World any day now.
In a unanimous vote in February, city commissioners voted for the fountain out of two different options. The rejected fountain had a 12- to 18-inch-tall solid wall around the base. The approved fountain has a decorative chain with safety bollards around the base.
The three-tier fountain is designed not to have any standing water. Its outer edges will feature a pebble-laden surface that would slope toward a central drain, and the only pooling of water would be about one-half-inch deep and occur only at the base of the fountain’s center. It costs about $160,000.
“We looked at what they wanted and presented them with the two designs,” Director of Community Services Karen Collins, said. “They had a clear direction in their minds. They had been discussing it for a long time.”
Because the fountain has six separate pieces, it will have to be assembled in the park using a special truck. The mechanics and pumping system will go in first.
The park, situated between South Wheeler and Evers streets, is important to the Midtown redevelopment vision. Once the fountain is installed, other assets can be added. Brick pavers will serve as diagonal paths from the block corners to the fountain. The park also will include wrought-iron benches, decorative lighting and matching trash receptacles. All the walkways will be lined with trees, which will be chosen for their phytoremediation properties to continue to clean and restore the once-contaminated site where Gro-Mor Fertilizer used to operate.
“The park will make the site more sellable in terms of redevelopment,” Collins said.
Collins was involved in redeveloping Munn Park, in Lakeland.
“It’s really fun to do these projects,” Collins said. “There’s a lot of community involvement. People tell me they’ll drive by to check up on the progress. They’ve seen all the dirty work with the clean up. Now, they’ll get to see the pretty part.”
The park won’t only be an attractive asset to potential investors. It also will serve as another recreational area close to the downtown area. Historic Downtown shop owners can enjoy the park on their breaks. And with the launching of new downtown events sponsored by the city, such as a food truck rally and costume 5K, a new park will be an ideal gathering area.
Contact Amber Jurgensen at ajurgensen@plantcityobserver.com.
