News Release Header
For Immediate Release:
August 03, 2012

Media Contact:
Laura Phillips
[email protected]
305-755-7842



Miami-Dade County Parks to Break Ground on New Arcola Lakes Park Senior Center


(Miami-Dade County, FL) -- 
The Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Department and Miami-Dade County District 2 Commissioner Jean Monestime will break ground for a new state-of-the-art senior recreation center at Arcola Lakes Park at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, August 8, 2012.  This new development marks Miami-Dade County's first recreational facility specifically designed for use by senior residents, age 55 and older. The public is invited to attend the groundbreaking ceremony.  

"Seniors have made this wonderful community what it is today, so it is only fitting that they have the very best recreational amenities available to them," said Commissioner Monestime.

The new one-story, 14,220-square-foot facility will be completely ADA accessible and feature a covered passenger drop-off entrance; a lobby and reception area; an exhibits hallway with built-in display cases; entertainment rooms with flat screen televisions and table games; an arts and crafts room; a ceramics room with a Kiln; an exercise room furnished with fitness equipment; staff offices; a lifeguard and first-aid station; men's and women's locker rooms with showers and restrooms; and a banquet-meeting hall that has a food warming kitchen and a portable performance stage for special events. The facility will also offer an outdoor therapeutic pool (24' x 43') and a whirlpool spa (9' x 9') with 8,324-square-feet of deck space, chairs and a covered porch for lounging. There will also be lighted parking, walkways and landscaping throughout the facility.

"We are delighted that an idea coming from this community's seniors to improve their health and well being is on its way to becoming a reality," said Jack Kardys, director of the Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Department. "This new senior center will encourage healthy living and provide social and recreational programs and activities for our senior residents, and is another great example of our Parks and Open Spaces Master Plan vision of connecting people and parks for life." 

The approved funding for this new development is $6.3 million under the county's Building Better Communities Bond Program.

Arcola Lakes Park is located at 1301 NW 83 St., Miami. The 19-acre park currently includes a recreation center, tennis, racquetball and handball courts, a playground, walking pathway, picnic shelters and landscaped open space.  For more information about programs and activities at Arcola Lakes Park, the public can call 305-836-5095.

About the Parks, Recreation & Open Spaces Department
Nationally accredited, a three-time winner of the NRPA National Gold Medal Award and winner of the 2009 Florida Governor's Sterling Award for excellence in management and operations, Miami-Dade Parks is the third largest county park system in the United States, consisting of 260 parks and 12,848 acres of land.  It is one of the most unique park and recreation systems in the world.  Made up of more than just playgrounds and athletic fields, it also comprises out-of-school, sports-development, and summer-camp programs; programs for seniors and people with disabilities; educational nature centers and nature preserves; environmental restoration efforts; arts and culture programs and events; the renowned Zoo Miami and the Deering Estate at Cutler; the Crandon Tennis Center, home of the Sony Ericsson Open; golf courses; beaches; marinas; campgrounds; pools; and more.  For information about Miami-Dade Parks call 3-1-1, or visit Miami-Dade Parks.

Miami-Dade Parks is supported by The Parks Foundation of Miami-Dade a non-profit 501(c)3 organization supporting the Miami-Dade Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Department's efforts to further develop Miami-Dade County's world-class parks system for residents and visitors.  Its mission is to create a healthier, more livable and sustainable Miami community by ensuring the implementation of the Parks Open Space Master Plan and the development of year-round park and recreation programs for local children, adults and people with disabilities.  For more information on the Parks Foundation, please visit Parks Foundation.

To request material in accessible format, information on access for persons with disabilities, or sign language interpreter services (7 days in advance), call 305-755-7848.


 

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MIAMI-DADE PARKS, RECREATION AND OPEN SPACES DEPARTMENT
275 NW 2nd Street, 3rd Floor Miami, Florida 33128
(305) 755-7842