Bayhead Action Park is located at 375 Seminole Blvd and currently has four volleyball courts, a basketball court, a skate park, as well as, walking paths, and a separate dog park. In Fiscal Year 2021-2022, the City initiated design plans for improvements to the park.
These plans are currently paused due to unanticipated project cost increases over twice the original estimate.
PROJECT DETAILS
Opened in 1970, Bayhead Action Park is located at 375 Seminole Blvd and currently has four volleyball courts, a building that was previously used for city programming, a basketball court, and a skate park.
A project to replace the building and enhance the outdoor areas has been in the City’s Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) since 2015, and funding was identified and approved as part of the FY 2019 proposed city budget. The project included funding from a grant through the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and Florida Recreation Development Assistance Program to enhance the outdoor recreation areas and expand the number of sand volleyball courts.
The City’s selected design consultant, Wannemacher Jensen Architect, prepared design plans that would allow for an expansion of programming, including tournaments on an increased number of volleyball courts, additional parking, program center updates to the current building, as well as a home for a new teen outdoor activity area and general park enhancements.
The design plans are currently paused due to unanticipated construction cost increases (over 2x the project estimate). This is due to an increased cost of materials, supply chain disruptions, and a tight labor market. Recent data from the U.S. Census Bureau shows construction costs went up by 17.5% year-over-year from 2020 to 2021, the largest spike in this data from year to year since 1970. Project alternatives were reviewed at the April 12, 2022 Commission Work Session (Largo.com/LiveTV) and it was determined that even with a reduction in improvement features the project remained significantly over budget.
At this time, barring additional budget constraints, the project budget will be re-allocated to support maintenance and upgrades at current recreation facilities to include:
- Parks Administration and Train Shed Reconstruction
- Southwest Pool Rehabilitation
- Largo Central Park Playground Replacement
- Central Park Performing Art Center Renovation
Project plans and community feedback will be saved to inform future Bayhead Complex updates.
For questions related to Athletics Programming at Bayhead Action Park:
Call 727-518-3026 | Email [email protected] | Visit LargoParks.com
To learn more about this and other projects coming to the City of Largo, visit Largo.com/Projects. For general questions, email [email protected] or call 727-587-6740 Ext. 7630.
