Rejuvenating Neighborhoods and Communities Through Parks—A Guide To Success www.NRPA.org National Recreation and Park Association © 2011 All Rights Reserved 49 The Many Lives of Jaycee Park Jaycee Park in Boynton Beach, Florida, was once owned by the Florida Inland Navigation District (FIND) to hold material from the dredging of the Intracoastal Waterway Since no dredging had occurred since the early 1980s, the city began leasing the property in 1965 from FIND for $1 per year, and the recreation and parks department began maintaining the 5 6 acres || JAYCEE PARK, BOYNTON BEACH, FL – RENOVATIONS TO FORMER DREDGING SITE After that, many partnerships formed and began to improve the land • During the 1960s and 1970s, the property was filled with mango, lime, tangelo, avocado, loquat, banana, and ficus trees Some of those trees have been removed over time • In the mid-1970s, the parkland was cleared and some irrigation installed through a joint effort of the local Jaycees and city staff • In 1998, a vehicle path was developed along the northern portion of the property, extending to the Intracoastal Waterway • The property came on the market under the List of Lands Available for Taxes in 2003 Both the county and the city were interested in the property, so the next year they partnered to purchase the land The city received $1 million from the county’s 2002 recreation and cultural facilities bond and another $1 7 million through a grant award from the Florida Communities Trust The total purchase price for Jaycee Park was $3 4 million Phase one of the Jaycee Park renovation project began in October 2007 and was completed in March 2008 at a cost of approximately $900,000 Improvements included a paved access road, an 18-space parking lot, three picnic shelters, a playground, paved sidewalks, an open play field, restrooms, and lush landscaping The city received a grant from the Florida Recreation Development Assistance Program for $200,000 for some of the improvements as well as a Land and Water Conservation Fund grant in the amount of $200,000 for fishing pier improvements Jaycee Park was renovated and rededicated in April 2008 Phase two began the following year and had many unique features that were important to residents including: • cultural education markers • art installations • a canoe and kayak launch • an observation deck and boardwalk that allow park visitors access to the beautiful Intracoastal Waterway
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