Sara Sims Park set for $1.3M fix-up

Heart of Boynton Beach residents rejoice: After years of apparent neglect, Sara Sims Park will likely undergo a $1.3 million update this year that aims to make the place cleaner, safer and more enjoyable for children and their families.

City officials must approve this year’s budget first, but in it are plans for the Community Redevelopment Agency to pay $600,000 for Sara Sims improvements and for the city to pay $700,000. They gave the initial nod at Tuesday’s CRA meeting.

Here’s what’s to be updated at the park within the next year: ■ Fences ■ Irrigation ■ Parking lot fixes ■ Bring the park up to Americans With Disabilities Act standards

■ Pavilion work ■ Resodding

■ Restrooms

■ Lighting Alexandra Seltzer ■ Walkways

■ Corner feature at Seacrest and Martin Luther King Jr. boulevards

The park is in one of the city’s poorest neighborhoods, the Heart of Boynton. These streets are also down for an upgrade — as the city answers residents’ calls for more businesses and affordable homes.

The immediate fixes are just the beginning.

A larger plan that would take years to complete has gathered dust in CRA files. But now the project is gaining momentum. The CRA held a workshop two months ago where residents shared their visions of what the park should look like: a water feature, security, barbecues, and more sports than basketball and racquetball. Mayor Steven Grant proposed building homes in a portion of the park, but most residents have opposed that.

Resident Dee Clayton said neighbors don’t even call the park by its name. Instead, it’s known as “hole in the wall.”

As it is now, broken glass litters the ground throughout the park, some basketball hoop nets are torn, a bench is chained to a tree, and there’s more dirt and sand than grass. The park does have a new playground, though.

On Saturday, police found an unconscious woman on the ground at the park. An officer was able to revive her, according to a police report. Officers took her to a local hospital.

A fresh design for Sara Sims Park could cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, and building it could be millions more, CRA Director Mike Simon said.

The CRA has held four meetings to discuss plans and continues to seek residents’ opinions. You can expect a questionnaire in the August utility bill.