Lorna Doone Park poised to get $8M in upgrades
Orlando teams up with Florida Citrus Sports to build ‘Lake Eola west’
Orlando City Commissioner Regina Hill remembers swimming in Lake Lorna Doone as a child while families from nearby neighborhoods gathered at the park on the shore for picnics, basketball and volleyball games and fellowship.
In the years since, the park in the shadow of Camping World Stadium became outdated, littered with garbage and frequented by the homeless, said those who visit the Church Street park.
Hill and others say Lake Lorna Doone Park is in desperate need of a face-lift to return it to the fun, inviting place it used to be.
The City Council will vote today on a funding agreement for upgrades to the park, including Orlando’s first splash pad in a city park, a concrete exercise trail around the lake, the removal of a segment of Rio Grande Avenue — which cuts through the middle of the park — along with basketball courts, a new playground, a pavilion, a community garden and a fountain. The agreement calls for Orlando to put up $5 million, and Florida Citrus Sports has pledged to kick in another $3 million for the project and will manage construction.
Planning for the sweeping rejuvenation has been a long time coming, dating back before Hill first ran for election in 2014. The Orlando nonprofit Polis Institute, which has taken part in revitalizations in several Central Florida communities, that year conducted neighborhood surveys that found improving the park was a top priority of residents. With that goal in mind, neighbors — as many as 150 at some meetings — helped design the changes, officials said.
“People said they wanted a park on the west side, similar to what you see on the east side of I-4, like you see at Lake Eola,” said Hill, whose districts include the Parramore and West Lakes neighborhoods. “The West Lakes community put these plans together.”
The park has a lake bordered by a sidewalk with an athletic
field across Rio Grande Avenue; it includes a rundown tennis court, a basketball court and a football field that was recently renovated by the NFL’s Play 60 program.
The park has a place in history. On Aug. 10, 1955, what is thought to be the first integrated Little League baseball game in the South was played at Lorna Doone Park. The Orlando Kiwanis Little Leaguers defeated the Pensacola JayCees, a team of black boys, 5-0.
Barry White, who runs cheerleading and youth football programs for the Orlando Outlaws there, said the park serves as a home for his program, which benefits more than 300 children — but it isn’t kid friendly.
“Right now, to be honest with you, it’s a place where a lot of homeless people gather,” he said.
The upgrades could breathe new life into the park and boost pride among nearby workingclass residents.
“For the neighborhood, I wouldn’t even be able to describe how much of an impact it will have,” White said. “People will feel a lot safer; it will be a lot cleaner and something new the community could be proud of.”
Plans call for the park’s new playground to be designed for special-needs kids to be able to play safely, said Lisa Early, director of the city’s Department of Families, Parks and Recreation. Though all of the city’s playgrounds are accessible to disabled individuals, this equipment will have further enhancements.
Residents also were adamant about having the exercise trail, and plans call for a series of fitness stations at various locations, Early said.
She said the park compares with some of the larger ones within the city limits and could have events similar to those at Lake Eola Park or Park of the Americas.
The removal of about a block of Rio Grande Avenue will enlarge the park by connecting the two sides.
Orlando will pay for its portion using funds from $80 million set aside for improving infrastructure in neighborhoods.
On Thursday, as crews inside Camping World Stadium worked to break down the elaborate stage used for Beyoncé and Jay Z’s On The Run II Tour concert the night before, several adults sat under a pavilion at the park, while a few others walked along the sidewalk near the lake. Crews patrolled the area, scooping up litter.
Steve Hogan, CEO of Florida Citrus Sports, said his organization wanted the park to be a source of pride for the neighborhood and is raising funds to complete its contribution.
“It’s their vision; that’s the coolest thing,” he said. “I think it’s every bit Lake Eola west, if you will. I hope it’s a place where the community gathers again.”
He hopes work can begin in November after the Florida Classic football game between Florida A&M University and Bethune-Cookman University. It could take 18 months to complete, he said.
“Optics is everything,” Hill said. “The people will see they have not been forgotten when it comes to all the growth that is happening in the city of Orlando. We see cranes everywhere.” rygillespie@orlandosentinel.com, 407-420-5002 or @byryangillespie on Twitter