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The city of Doral plans to build a new park with a 35,000-square-foot community center and several sports fields and courts for neighborhoods in the northwest section of the city.
The City Council recently approved the conceptual design for the park, which will be built on 18 acres at the corner of Northwest 114th Avenue and 82nd Street.
Mayor Luigi Boria said the city estimates the park will cost about $12 million overall. That figure could come down, as City Manager Joe Carollo said he is seeking business sponsorships and considering offering naming rights to the sports fields to help fund the project.
To Barbara Hernandez, Doral’s parks and recreation director, one part of the project easily stands out as the hallmark of the park.
“It’s the community center,” she said. “We don’t have one.”
The design for the center includes a multipurpose room with a stage that will hold about 150 people, an indoor exercise track and rooms for dance classes, aerobics and arts and crafts.
Five tennis courts, one adult softball field, two children’s playgrounds and three sand volleyball courts are planned, as well as a field for soccer and football.
According to Hernandez, the park will employ 15 to 17 staffers, four or five of whom will be full time.
The plan’s approval comes on the heels of Doral’s parks getting some national recognition. The American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration and National Recreation and Park Association named Doral’s parks and recreation department a finalist for a National Gold Medal Award for Excellence in Park and Recreation Management.
The city solicited comments from citizens on its website in June, and more than 50 people responded with positive reviews of the conceptual plans.
“We need this park,” wrote Karla Arteaga. “The others are full. Doral is growing fast and needs more parks.”
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