The Benny Russell Park in Florida is set to undertake a redesign costing $4 million, with several new features being added to enhance the enjoyment of visitors. The city park in Pace, Santa Rosa County, is a 30-acre recreation area currently consisting of children’s playgrounds, water fountains, pavilions and picnic tables.

Ideas for new installations were gathered from local residents and regular visitors during the summer of 2018, with the most popular and viable of these now being implemented.

The upgraded park will feature a multi-purpose sports field and a new all-inclusive playground with special playground lighting. There will also be a splash pad and a fitness fun zone court as well as trails and loops. The redesign plans include new restrooms and a new parking area, and there will also be ADA-accessible pathways.

The District 1 Commissioner for Pace, Sam Parker, said of the project he initiated: “This is an exciting time. These are the times where it is such a pleasure to be on the board.”

Almost half of the funding for the redesign is coming from a grant from the Florida Recreation Development Assistance Program, the District 1 Recreation balance and Local Option Sales Tax money. The other half is being funded by a debt service that will be paid in $235,000 instalments over a decade.