By Patrick Sherry
Bicentennial Park will be closed for eight months starting next year after the Lantana Town Council approved entering into a grant agreement to improve the sea wall there.
The council at its Oct. 27 meeting pushed forward with the agreement with the Florida Inland Navigation District. The town will match FIND’s contribution of $900,000, for a total of $1.8 million, to be used for the Lantana Seawall Hardening Project.
“Virtually this grant, in addition to the other grant that we got, will cover almost the entire construction cost,” Town Manager Brian Raducci said, referring to a previous $200,000 state grant that the town will match. “This money will expire if we don’t go after it now. You’ve got to get it while you can — it’s only going to get more expensive.”
The grants will cover the rehabilitation of the 2,100-foot sea wall around the park along the Intracoastal Waterway directly adjacent to high-density multi-family housing, commercial structures and Ocean Avenue. In addition to rehabilitation, workers will raise and widen the sea wall.
Some council members were concerned about closing the park for such a long time. Doing so would cause the town to lose a space for events and parking.
“We’re going to lose a lot of parking — that’s our main staple — where everyone goes, aside from the beach,” said Council member Jesse Rivero. “It’s a very popular area, especially this time of the year. I’m not thrilled about the eight months. … That’s huge for this little town.”
Staff members explained that they need to close the park for safety and cost reasons. Work has to be done from the land side to adhere to environmental regulations. Contractors also need the parking area to place equipment and materials.
Leaving parts of the park open would increase the cost of the project significantly.
To try to limit the impact of the park closure, the council agreed to look for other places to hold events and locate parking.
The town is expected to begin construction in January, and Bicentennial Park will be closed for the entire duration. Construction will be done in two phases, with the north side first and the portion closer to the Ocean Avenue bridge second.
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