[CPEO-BIF] "Turning ‘a jungle into an urban oasis’ in Lakeland" [FL]

[Lenny Siegel <lsiegel@cpeo.org>]

Bonnet Springs Park celebrates its groundbreaking and has an aggressive construction schedule aimed at opening to public use by the end of 2021.

By Sara-Megan Walsh
Lakeland Ledger (FL)
March 14, 2020


LAKELAND - If the laughter and excitement at Lakeland’s former rail yard Thursday morning are a sign of what’s to come, Bonnet Springs Park will bring new life to a former city brownfield.

Bonnet Springs Park held its ceremonial groundbreaking this week. A row of more than 20 golden shovels formed a line across what will become The Great Lawn, flanked by Lakeland’s only “mountains” marking the start of the park’s construction phase.

“We have been at many groundbreaking ceremonies, but not a groundbreaking like this groundbreaking,” Lakeland Mayor Bill Mutz said. “This is an epic moment in Lakeland’s history.”

For Lakeland developer David Bunch and co-developer Bill Tinsley, a former city parks director, the moment has been roughly five years in the making. They purchased the former 180-acre brownfield with help of friends and Lakeland philanthropists Barney and Carol Jenkins Barnett, daughter of the late Publix founder George W. Jenkins.

…

For the entire article, see
https://www.theledger.com/news/20200314/turning-a-jungle-into-urban-oasis-in-lakeland

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Lenny Siegel
Executive Director
Center for Public Environmental Oversight
A project of the Pacific Studies Center
LSiegel@cpeo.org
P.O. Box 998, Mountain View, CA 94042
Voice/Fax: 650-961-8918
http://www.cpeo.org





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