August 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 45

health and wellness. The game tables
will create a comfortable space
for multi-generational play. The music
equipment will open a world of
art experiences. Baseball amenities
mean reviving America's pastime. "
The renovation of the park and
the adjacent building will provide
a much-needed space for the area's
youth, community gatherings
and events. " The Holden Heights
community faces a poverty rate of
about 50 percent, and unemployment
is very high. While programs
at the new Neighborhood Center
will help children with an academic
and social issue, the building itself
will return to being a bedrock
of
the community, a gathering
place [for all ages], " says Burns.
" By extension, the park will too.
Children and families will gather in
the garden in the afternoons, evenings,
weekends and summer days,
so having this amazing place for
them to come is a gift. "
For local resident
this
Tiffany
Hughes,
project was about
investing in Holden Heights and
their youth. " I would like to thank
the City of Orlando for keeping
the concerns and suggestions of
the community top of mind in the
creation of the community center
[and the park's renovations].
There are so many programs for
youth on the other side [of town],
and the community
of Holden
Heights was being forgotten. There
wasn't a nice, clean space within
five minutes walking distance
where our children [could] play,
get homework help, and otherwise
commune with one another in a
safe and clean environment. Holden
Heights is forever transformed, "
says Hughes.
Building Community -
One Park at a Time
For the NRPA partners that donated
to the project, the Grand Avenue
Park is yet another example of how
park spaces can bring communities
together. " The Grand Avenue Park
project was special for a lot of reasons, "
says Jeff Rogers, president
of Musco. " It has such a historic
foundation with
the
elementary
school at its center, and the community
has been really dedicated
to revitalizing the entire park as a
social and recreational hub for everyone
to enjoy. We're just proud
to have been involved with all the
other great partners. "
" Places like Grand Avenue Park
bring people together by enriching
the lives of children through
play, " says Fred Wiechmann, vice
president of GameTime. " It's a tremendous
example of what can be
accomplished when partners work
together for the greater good. "
" It was wonderful that NRPA
stood by their commitment to the
Grand Avenue Park renovation
through such a challenging time...
this will benefit the community for
years to come, " says Anita Rudy,
president of DuMor. " [We] appreciate
all the work NRPA puts into
developing the Parks Build Community
projects, and we are grateful
to be a part of something so
positive. We truly believe that adding
more spaces for people to sit,
relax, meet friends and take pleasure
in nature benefits everyone. "
For almost a hundred years,
" The Grand " building and its associated
park have provided a place
for children to learn and explore,
as well as a place for the surrounding
community to congregate. This
new renovation of Grand Avenue
Park will again provide a safe, community
gathering place for generations
to come.
Paula M. Jacoby-Garrett is a Freelance Writer based in Las
Vegas, Nevada.
PARK S ANDRECRE AT ION . OR G | A UGUS T 2 0 2 1
| Parks & Recreation
45
Dyer and Burns speak at the grand
opening of Grand Avenue Park.
August 2021 - Parks & Recreation

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of August 2021 - Parks & Recreation
