New park in Lakewood Ranch to serve Lakewood Centre project in 2016

LAKEWOOD RANCH -- Schroeder-Manatee Ranch's 697-acre Lakewood Centre project between State Road 64 and State Road 70 is expected to have thousands of new homes and more than 1 million square feet of commercial and office space by buildout in 2026.

The developer is also moving ahead with something a little quieter among all those rooftops: the 40.55-acre Community Park at Lakewood Centre.

The Community Park is the larger of two parks being built within the boundary of the Lakewood Centre development of regional impact. The Community Park being built by the Lakewood Ranch Stewardship District is a 40.55-acre multipurpose park with two restroom pavilion buildings, parking, all-purpose field, open play fields, dog park, tot lots and walking trails, according to an email from Bob Simons, president of development for SMR, and Suzanne Fugate, vice president.

The park would be surrounded by residential development.

Manatee County Building and Development Services staff is evaluating park plans with comments due Oct. 21, according to documents filed with the county.

The park would be constructed east of Lakewood Ranch Boulevard, west of White Eagle Boulevard and

south of Gatewood Drive.

SMR is also working with the Manatee County Parks and Recreation Department on a 20-acre county park on the northwest corner of 44th Avenue and White Eagle Boulevard. The county park would be less than a mile from Community Park.

The first phase of the Community Park is anticipated to be completed by the end of 2016 with future phases done by the end of 2018.

The Community Park would connect to more than 150 miles of trails and sidewalks at Lakewood Ranch via Wood Fern Trail and White Eagle Boulevard.

Lakewood Centre is still in the early stages of development.

Road construction crews are now extending White Eagle Boulevard north of 44th Avenue East, near developer Pat Neal's Indigo neighborhood.

James A. Jones Jr., East Manatee reporter, can be contacted at 941-745-7053 or on Twitter @jajones1.

This story was originally published October 15, 2015 at 11:57 PM with the headline "New park in Lakewood Ranch to serve Lakewood Centre project in 2016 ."