ORLANDO, Fla. – Orlando is gearing up for an estimated $60 million renovation of Lake Eola Park.

Lisa Early, the director of Families, Parks and Recreation for the City of Orlando, told News 6 she is eager about the revamp, which has been years in the making.

“I’m super excited,” she said. “I love this park [it has a] special place in my heart, and I want to see all the beautiful things that happen here.”

In 2020, the city surveyed residents to gather feedback on what they liked and disliked about the park.

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“So, we knew the park was ready for a facelift, and so we hired a consultant who developed a master plan, taking into account input from hundreds and hundreds of residents from city commissioners. Surveys were done to try to get a feel for what people wanted,” Early explained.

The results showed that residents appreciate the park’s flexible open space, farmers market, and abundant wildlife. However, some expressed concerns about the Japanese garden, which they feel is not functional and takes up space, and the Robinson Street crossing, which was described as unsafe and unwelcoming.

Early assured that the changes will not be drastic but will enhance the park’s overall enjoyment.

“You’re not going to see buildings put up or anything like that,” she said.

“What you’re going to see is really a facelift. Some changes include completely redoing the restroom on the east side and the west side of the park. Moving the swan boat dock over there to the other side of the park because there’s kind of congestion over there when you have the restaurant and then people waiting for a swan boat ride,” she noted.

The 160-page master plan includes adding a shaded area to the amphitheater, a new family zone, and expanding the playground. Until Feb. 28, the city is accepting design proposals from contractors, but Early emphasized that they will not stray far from the guidelines.

“They can be they can be creative as well. But I think the master plan that’s out there is the real important starting point for it because it brings in a lot of community feedback. It was designed based on what the community wanted,” she said.

A committee will narrow down the proposals, and the finalists will present their ideas. Once a contractor is chosen, a detailed design process will commence, with the city calculating the final design cost.

While the process is finally picking up steam and is in motion, Early said they will not begin construction anytime soon, and she does not have a timeline yet on when it could start and when it does start, it will be in increments, which means you’ll still be able to enjoy everything it has to offer.

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