FORT WALTON BEACH — Community leaders will gather Monday to celebrate the first two phases of the Don & Susan Stillwell Neighborhood Park on Essex Road.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony will be at 4:30 p.m. Light refreshments will be served.
“When we get it done, I think it’s going to be one of the premier parks in Okaloosa County,” County Commissioner Dave Parisot said. “It’s quite a facelift.”
The park sits on the site of the old Garnier’s wastewater treatment plant, which was closed in 2009 and demolished in 2011. The first phase of the park was a children’s playground. The second phase included a walking path, gazebos, a basketball court and green space.
A third phase will include a special needs playground for children with disabilities and a splash pad with water features. Construction is expected to start in 2014, said James Puckett, operations manager for the county’s parks and recreation division.
“Because it’s such a large area, we’re doing a little bit at a time,” he said. “I think it’s going to be widely used.”
Contact Daily News Staff Writer Kari C. Barlow at 850-315-4438 or kbarlow@nwfdailynews.com. Follow her on Twitter @KariBnwfdn.