Lake Wales staff prioritizes Hunt Brothers and Kiwanis parks; city seeks partners, bond options

City parks staff presented a completed Parks and Open Space Master Plan to the Lake Wales City Commission and recommended focusing near‑term efforts on two projects: upgrades at Kiwanis Park and a phased expansion of the Hunt Brothers Sports Complex.

“First we’ll start with Crystal Lake Park… We’re looking to add dedicated pickleball courts, additional tennis courts, a pro shop restroom facility, paved parking, walking trails and enhancements to the facility in general,” the city’s parks director, Stephanie, said as she reviewed proposals for multiple parks. She then described larger, multi‑park proposals that together comprise the master plan, which staff estimated at about $140 million for full build‑out.

Because staff judged the full plan unaffordable in a single budget cycle, they proposed a narrower near‑term focus: Kiwanis Park (estimated about $12 million) and the Hunt Brothers Sports Complex expansion (estimated at about $50 million). Staff emphasized that the full plan would be phased and that smaller, targeted improvements would continue at other…