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Parks staff seek grants for Riverview upgrades, boat ramp work and demolition prep at Hurricane Harbor

Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee · March 24, 2026

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Summary

City parks staff reported planning progress at Riverview Park, announced mid‑April bids for the Main Street Boat Ramp and Swing and Bench Park, described demolition planning at Hurricane Harbor without current demolition funding, and said staff will apply for FIND and Florida Boater Improvement Program grants.

Blankenship, a city parks staff member, told the committee Riverview Park is now in active planning and that surveying and fieldwork are visible on site.

"We're heavily involved in the planning now," Blankenship said, adding that Main Street Boat Ramp and Swing and Bench Park are expected to go to bid in mid‑April and that shoreline stabilization and dredging work could follow in the summer.

On Hurricane Harbor, Blankenship said staff are completing reports and testing needed for demolition but emphasized there are no demolition funds currently available. "We're preparing as much as we can for demolition, but again, we don't have any funds for demolition," he said, explaining the department wants the studies done so the work can proceed if funding becomes available.

Staff described multiple grant efforts to fund construction and access improvements: a 2026 Florida Inland Navigation District (FIND) grant application for Riverview construction, a request for assistance related to an adjacent parcel acquisition, and a Florida Boater Improvement Program (FVIP) grant for Twin Piers. The FVIP proposal would widen and upgrade narrow piers, add floating docks and improve kayak launches to increase public water access.

Staff also briefed the committee on event planning at Riverview: the Earth Day celebration was expected to host nearly 100 vendors and a full day of activities, and the department will charge for for‑profit vendor space for the first time this year to offset event costs.

Next steps: staff will pursue grant applications in the 2026 cycles, complete necessary demolition and environmental studies for Hurricane Harbor pending funding, and advance bid documents for the boat ramp and parks projects with a target to advertise in mid‑April.