City aims to finish Riverwalk Park by summer of 2016

Published: Wednesday, December 10, 2014 at 4:37 p.m. Last Modified: Wednesday, December 10, 2014 at 6:55 p.m.

PORT ORANGE Construction of Riverwalk Park is set to begin in spring and will include a kayak launch, green space, boardwalk and trails in the northern city limits along Halifax Drive.

During a presentation to Port Orange council members on Tuesday, Shailesh Patel, principal of Dredging & Marine Consultants, said complete construction of the park is expected to be finished by the summer of 2016.

Last year the city approved $210,000 in contracts for the firm to provide design and consulting services for Riverwalk. That included a workshop last year where the public weighed in on the overall design.

Plans for a second phase of the park include additional trails, a playground, splash pad, restrooms, concessions stands, an iconic feature and utility improvements. The park is designed to accompany a private development with high-rise condos, a boat marina, retail space and a riverboat restaurant.

Other key features of the park include 180 parking spaces, lighting, a sea wall and a fishing pier.

The city is budgeting $3.1 million for construction of the park and has received $200,000 in grants. Wayne Clark, Port Orange community development director, said that the city will have a budget of $4.1 million for the park if it receives all the grants its seeking.

This is a high-profile park in the city, Clark told council members. Instead of coming back with construction bids, we wanted to come to you first for input.

Council members expressed overall approval of the design plans and are expected to bid on construction work early next year. However, a few members did not support the construction of a splash pad, which is expected to cost $275,000.

Do we really want a splash pad? Councilman Bob Ford said. That is a logistical nightmare to maintain and control.

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City aims to finish Riverwalk Park by summer of 2016