Hollywood commission approves purchase of Knights property to expand Stan Goldman Park

The City of Hollywood voted unanimously March 25 to buy the former Knights of Columbus property at 600 Knights Road for use as part of Stan Goldman Memorial Park, authorizing staff to close on the purchase for an amount up to $5,275,000.

Lisa Liotta, development officer in the Department of Communications, Marketing and Economic Development, told commissioners that staff negotiated a purchase price of $5,250,000 for the roughly 2‑acre site that includes a 7,828‑square‑foot clubhouse and provides roughly 105 additional parking spaces for the park. Liotta said funding for the acquisition is available in the city’s fiscal 2026 operating budget and capital improvement plan and noted some minor corrections to closing‑cost line items had been made on the dais prior to the vote.

Vice Mayor Calari, who moved the resolution, said the property will help address chronic parking shortages at Stan Goldman Park and allow parks and recreation to centralize programming and operations. “This is gonna be one of those parks that everybody’s gonna wanna be at,” Calari said before making the motion to approve acquisition up to $5.275 million to give staff flexibility at closing.

Two members of Hollywood Pickleball and neighborhood residents urged approval during public comment. Alex Rizzo, a Hollywood Hills resident, said the site “is a true asset” that will generate revenue and relieve parking pressures for park users. Todd Foppiano, on the Friends of Hollywood Pickleball board, told the commission the purchase would make the park contiguous from Johnson Street to Hollywood Boulevard and recommended approval.

Commissioners asked staff to return with a follow‑up item clarifying how the property will be characterized in the public record. Commissioner Hernandez pressed staff and the city attorney to confirm whether use of park impact fees and parking revenues would legally bind the land to park use or allow a mixed operational classification. City Attorney and staff agreed to research the statutory and charter implications and bring a resolution defining legislative intent back to the commission before closing or final disposition.

The purchase was approved 6–0. The item included a companion resolution (approved at the same meeting) declaring the city’s intent to reimburse capital expenditures by incurring debt in connection with the acquisition and potential future construction work tied to the property.

What’s next: staff will finalize closing documents and bring a subsequent item back to the commission clarifying the property’s classification, financial sources used for purchase and any conditions on future use or disposition. The city and outside counsel also signaled a willingness to seek a stay in unrelated litigation that could affect beach zoning policy, but that does not directly affect the park purchase.

Votes at a glance: Motion to approve purchase of 600 Knights Road for park expansion — mover: Vice Mayor Calari; second: Commissioner Shuham; outcome: approved unanimously, tally 6–0.