At 50, It's All About Upgrades and Maintenance
Building some of Florida's best parks and recreational facilities has always been a source of pride for Greater Boca Raton Beach and Park District Commissioners.
Maintaining and upgrading those parks is a close second.
“It seems like we're always considering new proposals to upgrade our parks – which is great,” District Commissioner Suzi Vogelgesang said. “Ensuring our parks remain facilities the Boca Raton community can be proud of continues to be a top priority of this board. We're always looking for ways to improve our parks.”
Some of those upgrades were always part of the original plan. Others have been prompted by the Boca Raton community.
Parks such as Patch Reef and Sugar Sand were designed to be built in phases.
When Patch Reef opened in 1983, only the baseball and softball fields were playable. Football and soccer fields came next. Basketball courts and a playground were added. The Tennis Center completed the original plan 1987.
Opening parks in phases allows members of the community to use some of the facilities as quickly as possible. And building in stages can be more logistically and financially sound.
Like Patch Reef, Sugar Sand also came to its current state of excellence a few pieces at a time.
Once again the ball fields came first. Later Commissioners added the Science Playground, the Community Center, the Children's Science Explorium and the field house. Former Commissioner Elaine Kleinman's favorite project, the carousel, didn't arrive at Sugar Sand until a decade after the park opened.
For decades, Commissioners have been tasked with weighing the community's differing needs and the urgency of those needs. Many factors complicate decisions to upgrade parks.
“Trying to make everything fit together, balance out what you've got in resources, what you think, what people want right now, what you think they're going to need, and what we can afford to build and may be reasonable in the future - to try to put all those things together, I was very fortunate I had a lot of great Commissioners that I thought were much better at foreseeing the future than I was,” Dirk Smith, a District Commissioner from 1989-2012 - which includes the entire construction of Sugar Sand - told the Palm Beach Post.
In recent years most of the changes and additions at District parks have been prompted by residents.
In 2019, responding to increased use of the rectangular fields along with a rise in popularity of lacrosse, District Commissioners installed synthetic turf fields at Patch Reef. The turf fields, complete with environmentally friendly organic fill, require less maintenance and down time, allowing more teams to use the fields.
The decision to install artificial turf, and which kind of turf to install, wasn't taken lightly.
“The one we have over at Patch Reef, especially the adults that play on it say it's much easier on their back and their knees,” Commissioner Bob Rollins said. “We adapted to that after being very careful to evaluate the cost and the savings.”
The District, in conjunction with the Boca Raton Library and the Friends of the Boca Raton Library, installed a StoryWalk along one of the Patch Reef walking trails, providing entertainment blended with activity for younger children. The groups also partnered to bring Little Free Libraries not only to Patch Reef, but also Sugar Sand and the Boca Raton Swim and Racquet Center, too.
Upgrades aren't limited to recreational facilities. In 2015 the District brought bathroom facilities to Mizner Bark, a dog park the District funds.
Sometimes upgrades occur to facilitate new sports.
In 2021, again after repeated requests from the public, District Commissioners approved conversion of some courts at the Patch Reef Tennis Center from tennis to pickleball. The trial went so well that Commissioners decided to take the next step.
Current projects at Patch Reef include a permanent covered pickleball complex. Construction on that 18-court project is already underway.
Construction on a new, more inclusive, playground that will replace the Pirates Cove at Patch Reef is also expected to begin shortly. The new playground design again grew from a Boca Raton's family's request.
Earlier this year Commissioners also approved, and crews installed, a new surface at the Sugar Sand Park outdoor roller hockey rink that allows for the play of futsal – a growing type of soccer. District Commissioners are currently pursuing a cover for the rink that will allow for even greater use by blocking both rain and blazing sun.
District Commissioners are constantly listening to requests from the community for additions to District parks. Members of the community are invited to bring their ideas to District public meetings, usually held on the first and third Mondays of each month at 5:15 p.m. within the Boca Raton Swim and Racquet community center. Here's the complete calendar of upcoming meetings.
This story is part of series that will run through the remainder of 2024 highlighting the District's Top Accomplishments during its first 50 years. Other stories as part of the series include:
In recent years District Commissioners added or improved facilities making it easier to play lacrosse, pickleball and futsal at District Parks.