Orlando is getting a mountain bike park!

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The following is a notice from Malisa Mccreedy, from Orlando Parks & Rec:

4/7/2010

Greetings All,

I have fantastic news to share…

This morning we received final approval to move forward with the mountain bike park AND yesterday the Winter Park Health Foundation confirmed they will be funding the initial construction of the project with a grant of $25,000 to start and another $25,000 to match additional grant funding I am seeking. We hope to end up with a total $75,000 to create a useful park for the community.

We will be holding a public design meeting on May 1st, 2010 at Area “C” from 9am to 1pm to allow greatest participation in a casual format – you are welcome to come for the whole event or pieces.

9am to 11am project overview and design options set out at several stations for you to comment on and make suggestions.

11am to 12pm site tour to discuss the options and how the design will function.

12pm to 1pm we will circle back to narrow down the choices for a DRAFT plan.

Expect to construct in October 2010.

DIRECTIONS AND DETAILS WILL FOLLOW IN A FEW WEEKS ON FACEBOOK. If you have not already checked out the Facebook page, go to: “Orlando Mtn Bike Park“.

Please sign up as this will be THE means of communicating details about the park as we move forward.

We would like everyone to be a part of this community collaboration.

If you have comments or questions, I can be reached via email; however, we prefer you please use the Facebook page as we are trying to make this a community process with as much input as possible since the trails will be built and maintained by the community on vacant City park land.

Thanks for all your support and interest – we will be calling in all those offers of help to construct in October!!

Malisa Mccreedy, AICP MPA
Planning Manager
Families, Parks & Recreation
City of Orlando

I am doubly stoked about this park because it will be in my back yard! It will also provide a permeability opportunity to connect Audubon Park to Coytown (and the Colonial Plaza shopping center) allowing cyclists an alternative to Maguire or Bumby.

Many thanks to Malisa for working so hard to make this happen!

9 replies
  1. Eric
    Eric says:

    There are several entrances from the south and west, but none on the north and east except to private property. I’ve been thinking about this property for a long time, but I don’t see much permeability there.

    You have a plan?

    • Keri
      Keri says:

      I was told that the park entrance is on Coy, so the Cady extension should create a connection between Woodcock & Coy.

      It’s not direct from the north, but it does provide a low-traffic alternative for crossing Colonial. It would be cool if there was a bike/ped entrance from the condos on Plaza Terrace.

  2. Carlos
    Carlos says:

    Oh wow…I work right next to there on Woodcock. I’ve always wondered what they were going to do with those warehouses. Are they knocking them all down? They are in really bad shape with some of their roofs collapsing.

    I was going to upgrade from a mtb to road bike to start commuting to work. I’ll have to bring in the mtb every so often to take advantage of it. Maybe in the cooler months.

    Thanks!

    • Eric
      Eric says:

      The property was divided north to south. The eastern side was sold at auction, the western side was given to the City.

      There is access to the City property from Warehouse via a right-of-way just on the other side of the fence. There is no way to get to the ROW from Woodcock unless parking lots are crossed.

      Most of the dilapidated warehouses are on the eastern property, so I wouldn’t expect much change there.

      The northern side of the City property is undergoing perpetual ground water remediation because the site was originally an Air Force Laundry and dry cleaning chemicals were seeping into the lake through the ground water. The Navy is paying for the ground water remediation.

      I suppose that as east-west route may be possible, but not for $75,000. I just use the outer parts of the parking lots to go east-to-west. Not much traffic on the fringes.

      There is a spite fence between the Target lot and the motel, so I ride about 20 feet on the sidewalk, then I turn right on Primrose, go to Illinois and turn left.

      • malisa
        malisa says:

        hey eric
        we have a trail easement through the eastern half of the property connecting to warehouse road. the cady way trail extension will be on the west side of maguire to warehouse road to the trail easement on the adjacent property owner into the park to connect to coy drive. the funding for the trail is being pursued separately and will not be part of the $75K that is for the park construction.
        thanks
        malisa

        • Eric
          Eric says:

          Looking at this fuzzy PDF file here:
          http://www.cityoforlando.net/transportation/TransportationPlanningDiv/BikesPeds/pdf/engineering/Appendix_D.pdf

          I think I see what you mean.

          Looks like a sidepath is planned along Mc Collough, then along Maguire, then along Warehouse to the ROW (presently located on the other side of the fence) then to Coy Dr. Then another sidepath? to Bumby, which someday will become a signed route.

          I have used sidepaths in Europe, reviewed European safety studies and seen the European activism against existing sidepaths (without expensive, complicated and traffic-delaying signaling) on the Web.

          I wonder why Americans think that if they implement a 90 year-old disproven traffic planning device, the results will be different?

          American exceptionalism, I guess.

  4. MTBikeNation
    MTBikeNation says:

    Any updates on when the park will be up and running. I’ve been looking but can’t find anything. Thanks!

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