EAST MANATEE — A proposal for a 25-acre park in the Creekwood neighborhood that would include two dogs parks, a playground, exercise trail, and possible two tennis courts, is in its final planning stage.
Manatee County is awaiting approval from the Southwest Florida Water Management District before the park can become a reality.
The park would be on the corner of 44th Avenue East and Creekwood Boulevard and may also include a pavilion with small, contained restrooms, depending on the money that’s available.
Michael Walley, president of the Creekwood Master Association, said that there are no such parks in the area.
“We have our Creekwood grounds that are maintained by our master board,” Walley said, “with a swimming pool and tennis court, but that’s not really a park. A 25-acre park which would create walking and perhaps biking and other opportunities to exercise would increase value to the quality of life for everyone in the neighborhood as well as people in areas such as Tara.”
Currently, the area in which the park would be built is divided into three segments — a retention pond and two areas of uplands.
Jeremy Fireline, of ZNS Engineering, the head engineer for the park project, said ZNS has had several meeting with the Water Management District.
“Every project has to go through this process,” Fireline said. “A lot of planning was done originally for the project.”
Fireline said he could not give an estimated date on when, or if, the park will be open to the public.
Creekwood is located on the northwest corner of Interstate 75 and State Road 70.
Nick Walter, Herald reporter, can be contacted at 745-7013.
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