After years of delays, construction of a city park that was started but never completed is about to get underway.
City Council Vice President Scott Wilson, who represents District 4, said the work on the Touchton Road Park near Belfort Road should begin by the end of the year, and hopefully sooner.
“The construction of the park will include a small parking area. It will include a walking trail with playground equipment and exercise equipment stations throughout the trail,” said Wilson.
The 42.5 acres of land for Touchton Road Park, which is on the other side of the Wyngate Forest roundabout, was donated by developers back in 2002 along with $125,000. The city cleared the land and added a retention pond with a fountain, but it didn't have the money needed to complete the project.
Wilson said that has finally changed with $550,000 earmarked for the park’s construction. He said the construction will take about six months with the park expected to open in April or May.
The original plan for the park included a skate park and racquetball court, but those ideas remain unfunded for now.
Wilson said even if additional funding can be secured, he would first want to make sure that’s still what area residents want, noting a lot of new homes have been built nearby since the idea was originally floated.
“If we are going to move forward with those types of improvements I really want to have a conversation with the residential property owners that are adjacent to it because sometimes those uses can create noise and other things that might be a concern for the residents,” Wilson said.
Additional Information
JaxParks Touchton Road Park website
Bill Bortzfield can be reached at bbortzfield@wjct.org, 904-358-6349 or on Twitter at @BortzInJax.
