By Steve Plunkett
The new Ocean Strand Park, scheduled for most of 2022 to open by the end of December, will open no sooner than next month.
“We are only waiting on some of the benches, fencing and signage to be delivered and installed,” said Briann Harms, executive director of the Greater Boca Raton Beach and Park District, anticipating arrival of the items in mid-January.
Work to lay an asphalt walking path from State Road A1A almost to the Intracoastal Waterway began in November.
The central strip of the parcel, at 2300 N. Ocean Blvd. between Spanish River and Red Reef parks, was cleared of exotic vegetation in September. Workers clipped non-native plant life just above ground level rather than pull it out from the roots to avoid disturbing what remains of a prehistoric trash heap left by indigenous natives circa A.D. 600 to 1400.
Gabriel Banfi, who lives in Boca Towers just south of the park, noted at the Dec. 19 district commission meeting that the south side of the 14.6-acre park is still choked with underbrush.
“We are putting together a maintenance plan to keep all that overgrowth from happening and keep all the beautiful stuff showing,” Harms assured him. “We’ll definitely add that section to make sure that they review it.”
The district bought the property, which includes 1.6 acres on the beach east of State Road A1A, and two additional parcels for $13.1 million starting in 1994. It banked the land without creating plans to develop it until Commissioner Erin Wright began a push almost three years ago to open it to the public.
The district will schedule a ribbon-cutting once construction is done.
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