The Stewart Community Redevelopment Agency on July 28 authorized staff to file a joint South Florida Water Management District permit for the Guy Davis Community Park project while continuing to prioritize the skate park, after hearing a 90% design update from Dominic Mack of Calvin Giordano & Associates. The motion, made by the Vice Mayor and seconded by Board Member Brechtel, passed on a unanimous roll call vote of the CRA members present.

The decision follows a presentation from Dominic Mack, who said, "Currently, we're at 90% design for the park," and walked board members through design changes since the 2022 schematic and the project's public-engagement history.

The board heard that the project team is proposing an increased project budget of about $10,000,000 in the FY2026 CRA budget; staff said the figure includes a previously reported $500,000 state appropriation and a separate $700,000 line item for the skate park, bringing the program total to $10,700,000. Mack described the cost drivers in the 90% cost estimate: soft costs (about $760,000), parking (about $1.4 million), drainage and general site improvements, a multipurpose field (roughly $722,000), playground and misting equipment, and a $1.1 million contingency.

Board members and members of the public pressed the project team on several technical constraints and design tradeoffs. Mack described a newly located wellhead and related access needs that required reconfiguring the fitness/run circuit and consolidating outdoor fitness stations; he also said a reinforced concrete pad must be added to allow a boom truck to reach wellfield infrastructure, and two parking spaces were removed to provide access. Mack said his team hopes to submit the joint SFWMD application by Aug. 14; he said SFWMD review would take a minimum of 90 days, plus a resubmittal window, “so by December we could have a permit” in a best-case schedule and still expects an RFP in March 2026 with construction mobilization in July and work beginning in August 2026 under the timeline shown.

Board members repeatedly raised trees, shade and parking. Board Member Moser asked for more canopy trees and questioned the current planting list, saying many specified items (palm relocations and certain small species) would not provide the desired shade. Several board members asked staff to re-evaluate the number and placement of new trees and whether relocated palms should be exchanged for larger shade trees. Concerns about parking costs and whether the project should rely on shared parking at nearby facilities were also raised; staff said parking costs are high in the estimate in part because of pervious/impervious calculations tied to the drainage design.

Utility coordination with Florida Power & Light (FPL) and drainage work were identified as outstanding items. Mack said FPL has changed project managers multiple times and that FPL requested a permit and 100% electrical drawings before issuing firm relocation quotes; he said the package is being revised.

The skate park, added to the scope by commission action last year, remains in the design. Mack reported the skate park's 50% construction documents and a preliminary estimate of about $650,000; the CRA added a $700,000 line item in the draft CRA budget to cover that scope. Several public commenters and board members urged moving the skate park forward quickly. During discussion, the Vice Mayor moved that the CRA "remain on course on the project with the skate park first and allow overall project to be submitted for permitting by South Florida Water Management District." The motion passed unanimously among CRA members present.

Board members and members of the public also expressed concerns about outreach and whether the park's design reflected feedback from nearby East Stewart residents; several East Stewart residents spoke during public comment urging more attention to neighborhood priorities and tree canopy. City and CRA staff said public outreach had included 327 participants in earlier survey rounds and continuing public meetings, and that the master plan had been presented in July 2024.

What happened next: the CRA vote authorized staff to file the joint SFWMD permit while maintaining the previously directed priority for constructing the skate park. Staff said they will continue FPL coordination, drainage revisions, irrigation/service planning, and finalizing the 100% construction documents and cost estimate before going to bid.

The board asked for additional details on tree species and counts, a refined parking analysis that accounts for existing shared parking nearby, and a more detailed schedule tied to FPL and SFWMD milestones. Staff said they will return with any changes and will notify the board if unresolved permitting or utility issues require further direction.

(Reporting note: quotes and attributions are taken from the meeting transcript.)

Ending: The CRA vote keeps the project moving toward final design and permitting while flagging multiple technical issues that staff must resolve before the project goes to bid. Board members asked staff to bring back the updated 100% plans, refined costs, and a tree/landscape substitution plan for review before final contract award.