Bradenton’s newest waterfront park progressing rapidly after long wait

It’s been five years since the city of Bradenton acquired several properties from Neal Communities in Ballard Park with the goal of an ambitious infill project to tear down dilapidated structures and redevelop housing to fit the character of the neighborhood.

As part of that deal, Ward 3 Councilman Patrick Roff said the city received the properties for “pennies on the dollar.” The Neal family requested at least one parcel be devoted to a community park bearing the Neal family name. The Rebecca and John Neal Park is at long last under construction and the city is finalizing the zoning on the remaining properties in preparation for sale to begin the infill housing project.

Planning and Community Development Director Catherine Hartley is developing a special zoning designation for the unique properties to ensure the new homes are built to the characteristics of the surrounding neighborhood. Hartley initially zoned the properties T3 residential, but Ward 4 Councilman Bemis Smith expressed concerns about the lot sizes. He said it would have unintended consequences for the only other area of the city zoned T3, which are in his ward along Riverside Drive East.

“My concern was not the Ware’s Creek lots, but the unintended consequences on other areas of the city that have the same zoning,” Smith said.

Hartley agreed it was the right thing to do and will zone the properties to the specific needs of the infill project. Since the sale of the properties will ultimately be used to pay for the new park, there was some concern about the delay, but Hartley said, “You don’t have to wait to put them out for bid. We can tell them what we are doing during that process.”

According to Economic Development Director Carl Callahan, several developers are lining up for a shot at purchasing the lots for housing development. Roff said the intent is to get the parcels up for sale, “But we should do this right. Even though developers say they are going to build something, this is urban development and we want to make sure we get what we want.”

The city convinced Neal Communities to purchase the lots at the onset of the Great Recession, but development never went forward. Neal Communities sold the properties back to the city for $284,661, far below the $1.3 million land value.

A kayak launch and 47-box community garden are essentially in place along with additional paved parking and ample sidewalks. Roff said a second canoe dock and launching pad are still in the plans and the park is much more important than what’s on the surface.

“This is a whole new upgrade to Ballard Park, along with the infill portion of it,” Roff said. “Between the infill and the park, I believe it’s the silver bullet to turn around Ballard Park and then kind of swing my focus to the south to Ninth Avenue. We have Point Pleasant gentrified, the Village of the Arts is doing great and the historic Ware’s Creek neighborhood has been turned around. This is a piece of a bigger puzzle for the whole plan of neighborhood renewal.”

Roff said a new barn-style tool shed also is planned near the community garden, which will be fenced. The city is close to taking applications for slots in the garden, but Roff said they are still determining a process to make that happen. He said they are considering a $25 fee, but it will be refunded when the gardener completes their use. Six boxes are being reserved for Ballard Park Elementary School students across the street from the park.

The city set aside $300,000 for the park, but costs are expected to come in at a little more than $200,000.

“This whole concept originated in the middle of a recession,” Roff said. “The fact that it’s still low cost is good. No one is ever opposed to saving money, but when you look at the finished project, the whole idea is to keep it simple and make sure it’s good for the neighborhood. We are taking into account the homeless so that’s baked into the overall pie, as well. We’ve tried for years to turn Ballard Park around and I think this, with the infill, will be it. I have no doubt in my mind that it’s going to work.”

This story was originally published December 15, 2017 at 1:51 PM with the headline "Bradenton’s newest waterfront park progressing rapidly after long wait."