ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – Construction on two major projects is underway in St. Johns County that have been in the works for several years.
County leaders broke ground Friday morning on a new sports complex, a library and a community center are on the way to the Shearwater area, right off County Road 16A.
It is all a part of a more than $100 million initiative that started in 2019. The effort is to build four new regional parks and facilities, while renovating a fifth one in different parts of the county.
Parks and Recreation director Ryan Kane says the investment addresses a big demand.
“I want to speak slightly for the youth sports organizations that are really looking forward to coming out here and getting out in utilizing the fields, the athletic fields,” Kane said. “The communities, I met with the Shearwater community, probably 18 months ago and talked about the needs and wants. They are excited about what is coming forward and now they see it happening and their backyard.”
The St. Johns County Tournament Complex is going to have eight rectangular fields. Five of them will be artificial and three of them are going to be grass fields.
There will also be a track, playground, and multipurpose fields for sports like soccer and football. The complex costs roughly $38 million to build.
A few hundred feet away from the sports complex is going to be the Central Community Park.
That is going to include the community center, a library, basketball court, multipurpose field and playground.
There will also be a splash pad, eight pickleball courts, climbing tower and a skate spot.
Manuel Salguiero moved across the street a year ago. He is on board with the investment as he says his 5-year-old son will utilize the upcoming facilities.
“He loves playing at the playground,” Salguiero said. “We are still introducing him to sports, but now he has the opportunity. It brings good attention to the community. It will bring other families to the community and it just keeps the kids out of trouble because they have plenty to do.”
News4Jax met Sarah Strayhorn who was out walking her dogs, Lilo and Stitch, early Friday morning ahead of the groundbreaking ceremony.
Strayhorn also has been living across the street from the construction for a year and is looking forward to everything opening up for business.
“I love to read,” Strayhorn said. “I love a library. It is perfect that it is in the neighborhood. There is so much residential buildup, I feel like it is really important to have these community spots.”
Tim Connors is project manager for the county’s parks and recreation department.
Connors says all the projects need to happen as St. Johns County continues seeing significant growth.
“There has been an increased demand for our recreational facilities across the county, north and south,” he said. “Our existing parks and field were really stressed and stretched for capacity. It limited access for youth leagues and sports organizations, adult recreation. These new facilities, the sports plex primarily, is going to provide that much needed space and modern amenities to support these local sports groups, as well as regional tournaments moving into the area as well.”
“Residents are looking forward to it as a place to go and just enjoy the weekends with their kids,” Connors said. “Our youth organizations are looking forward to it to be able to expand some of their programming and offerings to the community, and kids will get into those youth sports. Our tourism industry is looking forward to it by bringing in more tournaments to the area, getting larger-scale recreational and sports tournaments.”
Connors says the plan is for both of these areas to be open for business by early 2027.
