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Residents sketch plans for park

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By KATHY STEELE

ksteele@tampatrib.com

Published: October 21, 2009

CHANNEL DISTRICT - Residents who worried their neighborhood would be overwhelmed with high-rise buildings and concrete finally are seeing green space.

The city is poised to spend about $300,000 to build a small park at the corner of 12th and Washington streets. Last week about 30 residents met to discuss the design of their "pocket" park.

"This is huge," said resident Francine Messano, a six-year Channel District resident. She was among residents who broke into groups to come up with sketches and ideas for the park.

A dog park was prominent on the wish list. Other suggestions included public art, shade trees, benches, volleyball and bocce courts, and a drinking fountain. Most also wanted a playground but preferred one with a non-traditional look such as a large sanded area with a sculpture in the middle.

Developer David DeMarcay said his group wanted a playground with numerous sculptures, "where kids can come by and play but it's not so obvious when you drive by it's a playground."

Lots of landscaping was requested. Messano said the city should consider using drought-resistant plants.

"We don't want to really have a financial impact on the parks department for maintenance at the park," Messano said.

Developer and businessman Henry Lewis has lived in Channel District for more than 40 years. The park will be a catalyst not just for bringing residents together but for encouraging new businesses such as cafes, galleries and dry cleaners.

"It's right in the core of the district," Lewis said. "Right now we have sidewalks to nowhere. There is no place for people to sit and talk."

The city agreed to buy the half-acre site in October from Atlanta-based seller Novare Channelside at a price of about $805,000.

City officials hope to bring one or two proposed park designs to residents in January, based on last week's suggestions. The project then would be bid with a potential construction start in late summer 2010, said Brad Suder, the city's superintendent for the parks and recreation department's planning division.

Because the park is small, Suder said, it is important to create a design that fits a limited space. "I didn't hear anything tonight way out of the box," he said. "We have workable elements to work into a well-conceived plan."

Reporter Kathy Steele can be reached at (813) 259-7652.

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