Manatee County names Washington Park community center after Palmetto leaders
Manatee County officials will cement the legacy of two long-time Palmetto community advocates with a new center coming to Washington Park.
On Tuesday, Manatee County Commissioners unanimously approved naming the community center coming this year to Washington Park as the “Lawrence C. and Clifford B. Livingston Community Center.” The community center is part of a nearly $8 million plan to revitalize Washington Park.
District 2 Commissioner Amanda Ballard, whose district includes Washington Park, first asked the board to consider naming the community center after the Livingston family in January.
“This is very exciting for the Washington Park community,” Ballard said. “Pastor Livingston and his wife pushed for a park in this area for 25 years. It’s finally coming to fruition. So this is…a really, really special thing for his family and for that community.”
According to Director of Sports and Leisure Services Molly White, Phase 1 of Washington Park will open with a grand opening ceremony at 10 a.m. on May 7, with the community center opening this fall.
Community center to honor Palmetto advocates
Multiple phases will transform Washington Park — an 88-acre site at 3011 Eighth Ave. E., Palmetto — from a dirt pit into a new community park.
The county has considered redeveloping the land since the 1970s, with conversations often including a park and walkway of trails with “rolling hills.” County staff began finalizing the plan for Washington Park in 2017.
Phase 1 of Washington Park will be the trails, restrooms, pavilions and play fields, which cost the county about $2.9 million, the Bradenton Herald previously reported.
In September, county commissioners approved the $4.8 million guaranteed maximum price for the community center, which will be named in honor of Bishop Lawrence C. Livingston and his wife, Elder Clifford B. Livingston.
The two founded Eternity Temple First Born Church in Palmetto’s Washington Park neighborhood. A county document describes the two as “respected faith leaders, educators, and community advocates whose lives were dedicated to uplifting families, strengthening neighborhoods, and expanding opportunity for generations of residents in Palmetto and throughout Manatee County.”
“(T)he Livingstons’ leadership extended beyond the Eternity Temple First Born Church, shaping youth development, family support services, and community building efforts that helped establish Washington Park and surrounding neighborhoods as vital centers of connection and opportunity,” the county document continues.
