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CRA: DEP permit approved for Doctor Robert B. Haley Park; construction planned early 2026, playground at Eddie Vickers Park to be replaced
Summary
City staff said Florida Department of Environmental Protection has issued the permit for the Doctor Robert B. Haley Park project; construction is expected to begin in early 2026 with Haley Plaza targeted for mid-2026 completion. Play equipment at Eddie Vickers Park was decommissioned for safety and will be replaced next year.
Jamie D. Perkins, community services director, reported that the project team has secured the required Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) permit for Doctor Robert B. Haley Park and Eddie Vickers Park, and said the city is completing remaining city permits.
Perkins told the committee she expects construction at Doctor Robert B. Haley Park to begin in early 2026, with Haley Plaza possibly completed by mid-2026. “We hope to begin the construction at Doctor Robert B Haley Park in the early part of 2026, with hopefully a completion of Haley Plaza by midyear,” Perkins said, and added the plaza portion is anticipated to require about six months of construction.
Perkins said the city has decommissioned dilapidated playground equipment at Eddie Vickers Park for safety reasons and plans to replace it in early 2026. She noted the DEP permit process took about a year and a half and that parts of the park sit atop a former landfill, requiring capping and brought-in fill rather than excavation. That constraint informed the design and the environmental protections required by DEP.
Committee members raised concerns about accessibility up the hill to Haley Plaza and odors from the nearby wastewater treatment plant and horse stables. Perkins said the design includes an ADA-compliant ramp in addition to stairs and that the planting strategy and landscaping are intended to help mitigate visual and odor concerns. She also said the master plan envisions multiple seating/pavilion areas rather than a single pavilion adjacent to the horse stables.
A committee member asked whether the planned improvements could meaningfully overcome the site’s limitations. Perkins said the master plan shows significant improvement compared with the current conditions but cautioned that implementation will take time because of permitting and environmental constraints.
Next steps: finish city permitting, mobilize for construction when funding and scheduling allow, and proceed with replacement of playground equipment at Eddie Vickers Park in early 2026.
