Improvements to Paul Thorpe Jr. Park will not necessitate any traffic disruptions, city manager says
The entire Lemon Avenue corridor has reopened in downtown Sarasota, City Manager Tom Barwin announced in his Dec. 6 newsletter.
“The finishing touches were completed” early last week at the Pineapple Avenue intersection, “where an impressive brick medallion in the shape of a pineapple is now on display,” Barwin wrote. “This complements the lemon design at the State Street intersection and the compass design at Main Street,” he noted.
The final phase of the Lemon Avenue Streetscape project will focus solely on improvements to Paul Thorpe Jr. Park, Barwin continued. It will not necessitate further street closures, “which, understandably, is a relief for merchants, drivers and downtown residents,” Barwin added.
Among the park enhancements will be a trellis walkway, new landscaping, stationary benches, swinging benches, tables with seating and new park lighting, he noted.
“We anticipate the new Paul Thorpe Jr. Park will become a popular destination for downtown residents [and] Saturday morning Farmers Market attendees, as well as shoppers and employees seeking an outdoor respite for lunch, a coffee break or just a place to relax and enjoy our special city’s urban energy throughout the week,” Barwin wrote.
The project is on schedule for the park to reopen to the public by the end of January 2020, he added.