By Ken Storey
The southeast corner of Lake Eola Park is expanding into what may become the most beautiful section of the park. The former site of five historic homes will be the park’s newest lawn with massive oaks shading it. The area will provide a much needed lawn space for this, up until now, small corner of the park.
One of the five historic homes, that together were known as the Eola 5, was saved and will be used as a new park office. The other four homes were torn down after the city couldn’t find anyone to pay to have them moved, despite the houses themselves being free to whoever would move them. A petition to save the homes gained over 800 signatures but the city council voted to go ahead with its plan to expand the park anyhow.
The city purchased the property for $8.5million from the Trust for Public Land. The trust owned the land after a 30 office tower proposal for the property was blocked in 2009. At that time the city couldn’t afford the purchase the property so the trust bought it instead with the option of the city purchasing it in the future.
The Washington Street cul-de-sac where the houses were located will be blocked off with bollards at Eola Drive and the farmer’s market will be able to set up along the former brick street. A new sidewalk entrance off of Eola Drive is also currently being built as well.
Also check out and maybe vote for Lake Eola Park in this new Coca-Cola Live Positively contest they're in the running for. The winning park receives a $100,000 recreation grant.
The southeast corner of Lake Eola Park is expanding into what may become the most beautiful section of the park. The former site of five historic homes will be the park’s newest lawn with massive oaks shading it. The area will provide a much needed lawn space for this, up until now, small corner of the park.
One of the five historic homes, that together were known as the Eola 5, was saved and will be used as a new park office. The other four homes were torn down after the city couldn’t find anyone to pay to have them moved, despite the houses themselves being free to whoever would move them. A petition to save the homes gained over 800 signatures but the city council voted to go ahead with its plan to expand the park anyhow.
The city purchased the property for $8.5million from the Trust for Public Land. The trust owned the land after a 30 office tower proposal for the property was blocked in 2009. At that time the city couldn’t afford the purchase the property so the trust bought it instead with the option of the city purchasing it in the future.
The Washington Street cul-de-sac where the houses were located will be blocked off with bollards at Eola Drive and the farmer’s market will be able to set up along the former brick street. A new sidewalk entrance off of Eola Drive is also currently being built as well.
Also check out and maybe vote for Lake Eola Park in this new Coca-Cola Live Positively contest they're in the running for. The winning park receives a $100,000 recreation grant.
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| New sidewalk entrance off Eola Drive |
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| New fence along Eola Drive |
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| The sod is brand new, the tree is not. |
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| The one house that got saved, currently being remodeled into a park office. |
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| A new brick circle gives visitors three options of where to go in the park after entering from the new sidewalk entrance. |