City presents Paul Thorpe Park improvement plans

At a workshop Wednesday, the public offered few objections to the details of the city’s proposal to redesign Paul Thorpe Park and Lemon Avenue.

They did, however, offer one strong suggestion to city staff: Take swift action to improve the downtown park, located at Lemon and Pineapple Avenue.

Wednesday’s meeting at City Hall was the third public workshop held to discuss a new master plan for Paul Thorpe Park. The park, formerly known as Pineapple Park, is known for a mermaid fountain that sits in its center.

The master plan would add more shade trees and seating at Paul Thorpe Park, reorienting the layout to account for the park’s shrinking footprint during the past 25 years.

The plans call for a resurfaced Lemon Avenue between Main Street and Pineapple Avenue — possibly with bricks, to mirror the Lemon Avenue Mall north of Main Street. It would also remove the curbs between State Street and Pineapple Avenue to create a more pedestrian-friendly environment and better link the two segments of Paul Thorpe Park, which Lemon Avenue bisects.

Design consultant David Conner + Associates, the firm leading the master planning process, initially entertained the idea of redesigning the mermaid fountain. On Wednesday, however, city staff assured those in attendance that the plan called for the fountain to remain in tact as is.

“None of that is going away or changing,” said Todd Kucharski, the city’s public works general manager.

Residents who have advocated for improvements to the park expressed concern that the scope of work, which includes Lemon Avenue streetscape improvements, would delay the project’s timeline. Those residents encouraged staff to prioritize the park, a sentiment Parks and Recreation Director Jerry Fogle said he shared.

“If we have to do this in phases, the park is going to be the first phase,” Fogle said.

It is still unclear how the city will fund the improvements, if the City Commission chooses to adopt the master plan at a future meeting. Fogle and Kucharski said staff plans to consult the city’s finance department to examine the available funding options. No money is allocated for implementing the master plan.

Kucharski also reminded those in attendance Wednesday that the master plan was still an early conceptual document, and things could change as the plans become more detailed.

Staff intends to present the master plan to the City Commission in September. Although the commission will ultimately decide what the city does with Paul Thorpe Park, Fogle told residents he intends to advocate strongly for the proposed improvements.

“For me, my main focus is the park,” Fogle said. “It deserves it. It has to happen.”