The City of Tampa Bay calls the park “a showstopper.”
The 1-mile, partially paved walking and bicycling trail meanders through the forested canopy that surrounds a 10-acre, 25-million gallon stormwater pond. Residents can access the trail, covered picnic tables, pond-side benches, a14-foot wide boardwalk over a natural wetland, and all of the natural beauty. Visitors will notice native fish, gopher tortoises, large birds including bald eagles, and other Florida wildlife that call MacDill 48 home.
The stormwater pond in the middle of the park will allow the City to maximize flood relief within the the southeast portion of the Lower Peninsula Watershed, which includes most of the area south of El Prado Boulevard. The project also includes more than 12,000 linear feet of box culverts, pipes, and drainage inlets. Green infrastructure has been added to reduce the discharge of nutrients, oils, sediments, and floating debris into Hillsborough Bay. This is an ideal of the type of stormwater infrastructure that could provide significant benefits in flood-prone parts of the City.
The park was a stop on the Roadshow when it was honored with an Excellence in Engineering and Public Works award from the American Society of Civil Engineers, American Public Works Association, and the American Council of Engineering Companies.
