TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Renovated Eureka Springs Park reopens Thursday

ADVERTISEMENT

By LAURA FRAZIER | The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 5, 2009

TAMPA - Eureka!

The renovation of one of Hillsborough County's smallest and most distinctive regional parks is complete.

Eureka Springs Park will officially reopen Thursday after an extensive, months-long overhaul of the pavilion that serves as the facility's main entrance.

Workers updated the aging structure by replacing screened-in areas with tempered glass windows and adding a new metal roof, gutters and downspouts. Also refurbished were the restrooms, interior lights and ceiling fans. Food preparation and serving areas were revamped, and the parking lot was repaved and restriped.

The county spent $260,000 in the renovations.

The site was originally developed into a botanical garden of rare and unusual plants by Albert Greenburg, who donated the property to the county in 1967. The 31-acre park boasts the only garden in the county's park system along with a greenhouse, trellis-covered walkways, interpretive trails and a picnic area.

In 2008 the weathered, original boardwalk was replaced with a new 1,630-foot walk that enables visitors to navigate through a swamp and get a good view of the springs and surrounding natural habitat.

Eureka Springs Park is at 6400 Eureka Springs Road, north of the junction of Interstate 4 and U.S. 301.

For information, call (813) 744-5536 or go to www.hillsboroughcouny.org/parks.

Reporter Laura Frazier can be reached at (813) 627-4767.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT