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Those grants, and possibly others, could pump about $500,000 into St. Pete Beach parks and playgrounds.
By AMY WIMMER
© St. Petersburg Times, published October 18, 2000
ST. PETE BEACH -- The city has received two grants to improve local parks and, if things go as hoped, it could win a couple of more grants.
The grants could pump about $500,000 into local parks next year, about $150,000 of that city money. Any projects without grant money likely will return to the capital improvements fund, where they will receive funding probably in a few years.
"Although we have a real good chance of getting all those grants, it's not a guarantee," said Jim O'Reilly, assistant director of the city's leisure services department. "The city is not going to spend $500,000 on playground equipment if they can't use grant funding."
The city already plans to spend $150,000, $112,500 of it state money from the Florida Recreation Development Assistance Program, on Vina Del Mar Park.
The money will pay for different types of playground equipment for small children ages 2-5 and older children ages 5-12. Basketball and tennis courts would be resurfaced, new fencing added and old plants removed.
"It is a nice grant in terms of them paying for 75 percent of it and us paying for 25 percent of it," Mayor Ward Friszolowski said.
The grants are sought to update city parks and make them more functional for the people who use them. More children are growing up in the neighborhoods surrounding Blind Pass Road, for example, so the city wants to acquire age-appropriate equipment and add lighting.
The improvements for Blind Pass Park have not yet been funded. The city plans to apply for the same recreation grant it received for Vina Del Mar.
"We have playgrounds that really need to be updated," said Tami Cody Nicholas, parks superintendent for St. Pete Beach.
"It's a nice park, and people use it now," said City Commissioner John Phillips, who represents District 1, the northern section of the city that includes Blind Pass Park. "It's usually just our district, but hopefully other people will go up and use it."
Lazarillo, Lido and Belle Vista parks also will receive some improvements during fiscal year 2000-2001. Lido Park has received a state forestry grant to plant trees. For $17,000, the city is building a large picnic shelter at Lazarillo. Also in the budget for this year is a smaller, $10,000 shelter at Belle Vista Park.
The other improvements for Lazarillo and Blind Pass parks need grant funding if they are going to be completed this fiscal year. (See chart.)
"What these grant applications are doing is accelerating our projects," Nicholas said.