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One coveted ball field, coming up
By SUSAN THURSTON, Times Staff Writer CROSS CREEK -- The county is moving forward with its promised park in Cross Creek and plans to start work on a practice ball field this month. Who will use it remains up for grabs, but sports fans know it won't go to waste. New Tampa needs more fields for the growing number of soccer, baseball and football players. "Even if it's just a field or two, it's a start in the right direction," said Mike Bedosky III, who helped spearhead the park. "There's a huge crunch up here and it's not getting better." Hillsborough County is building the 12.6-acre park on Kinnan Street across from Pride Elementary School. The county got the land through a deal with the school district, which traded the site for about 6 acres of county-owned wetlands that the district needed to offset the environmental impact of the new school. The county intended to pay $220,000 to even out the swap, but instead the district opted to put the money toward the new park. District officials said they wanted to give the county a head start, considering that the park will benefit both the school and surrounding community. Previously, the county had no money for the park until about 2005. The $220,000 will pay for a practice field, small parking lot and playground. The play area will feature equipment for children of all abilities. Modeled after a playground in Largo, it will have rubber matting and sidewalks leading to a handicapped-accessible parking area, said Joel Jackson, a county park designer. Jackson hopes the playground will open in time for the new school year in August. Crews first must install the irrigation system and electrical power. "There's a lot of front-end work to do," Jackson said. "We're trying to master plan it so we will be able to expand it." Eventually, the county plans to put in playing fields for each of the three sports and, possibly, a small recreation center for after-school activities. Unlike the Northeast Little League park, the site is probably too small for a concession stand. The county started talking about the park in 2000 and met with members of local athletic groups last year to go over the features. Parents overwhelmingly said they wanted more fields over a recreation center with computer labs and fitness classes. Demand for playing fields has skyrocketed in recent years as droves of people have moved to New Tampa. In the absence of a large community park, sporting groups have rented land wherever they can, including at schools and small neighborhood parks. In addition to the park next to Pride, the county is looking at building a park in the future Live Oak community at Bruce B. Downs Boulevard and County Line Road. The city also is constructing a 40-acre park next to the new high school and middle school, which open this fall in Tampa Palms. - Susan Thurston can be reached at (813) 269-5303 or thurston@sptimes.com.
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From the Times |
