FORT WALTON BEACH — Two years after the old Garnier’s wastewater treatment plant in Ocean City came down, the final phase of the Don Stillwell Neighborhood Park is almost completed.
The plant, reviled for decades because of its stench, has been transformed into a recreational space for all ages.
“It is beautiful,” said Susan Stillwell, whose husband lobbied Okaloosa County for years to close the plant. “I could not ask for more. … I pass by there every day.”
Stillwell said her husband is now in a nursing home and that she hopes to take him to the park on Essex Road after it opens.
The aging plant closed in 2009 and was demolished in 2011. The park’s first phase, a children’s playground, opened in 2010.
Workers are now putting the final touches on the other side of the property, which features green space, a walking path, gazebos and a basketball court. The park is expected to be open to the public by the end of the month.
“It’s coming along real well,” Public Works Director John Hofstad said. “The walking path is installed. The green space has been planted and the irrigation is in.”
The park is a welcome change for residents who endured years of the plant’s odor.
“It’s very nice,” said Joyce Baril, who has lived on nearby Tuxedo Drive since 1975. “We can go outside … and just enjoy the fresh air.”