City said a Bradenton Riverwalk park would close for a month. Plans have changed
City leaders reversed course days after announcing that a popular Bradenton Riverwalk park would close for over a month.
The city of Bradenton initially said that almost all of Rossi Park, 444 Third Ave. W., would close from May 18 to June 25 for the installation of shade structures. But Bradenton Mayor Gene Brown told the Bradenton Herald Thursday that the city will keep the playgrounds, pavilion area, restrooms and the splash pad open for the majority of the construction.
“I think we were just trying to be over-cautious, and we were able to swing it back to be a little bit more customer-friendly, especially with the splash pad and coming into summer,” Brown said.
Brown also said that the decision to keep the splash pad open as much as possible “wasn’t a reaction to the public,” but several residents commented on social media to share frustration about the timing of the park closure during the hot summer months.
The mayor noted that the splash pad may see intermittent closures throughout the shade structures’ installation while heavy equipment comes into the area.
“Obviously, the splash pad, there may be times, though, that some of them will still need to close for a day or two instead of the whole time,” Brown said.
The lawn area in the park will remain closed throughout the construction period, according to Brown.
Two shade structures will be installed, one over the splash pad, partially casting shade over the benches and lawn in the northern portion of the park. The portico on the west side of the park will also be extended to supply shade, according to Brown.
