Bonnet Springs Park is the result of an extensive community outreach and design process led by Sasaki's multidisciplinary team that introduces an ecological jewel, cultural magnet, and connected community asset for one of the fastest growing cities in the U.S.

The site’s status as a brownfield was a primary factor that influenced the design process; rather than exporting the contaminated soil or capping the entire site–two options that would have been costly and with negative off-site impacts–the team decided to incorporate a remediation strategy as an integral component of the design. This decision informed nearly every aspect of the project, including mobility, microclimate, noise mitigation, and architecture. Perhaps most noticeably, the remediation strategy drove the creation of a hilly topography rarely found in Florida, which is now one of the defining features of the park.

The park features heritage gardens, a canopy walk, botanic gardens, playgrounds, and a large event lawn. Walking and biking paths connect major spaces with three new buildings: A Welcome Center, Event Center, Nature Center, and the Florida Children’s Museum. The design remediates the former industrial landscape and restores natural systems–removing invasive exotic plants, treating stormwater with wetlands and bioswales, and capping contaminated soil into large hills.

Following five years of design and construction, the design intent was put to the test when the park opened to over 40,000 visitors from all over Florida. Within its first year, the park hosted over 60 local school field trips and welcomed over 1,410,000 visitors from all 50 states and 19 different countries. The range of activities in the park supports visitors of all ages and abilities, helping Lakeland forge new connections with their natural environment and with their growing community.

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Collaborating Firms

Linnaea Tillett Lighting Design Associates

Lighting Design (Exterior)

Kimley-Horn and Associates

Local Civil/Permitting/Traffic Consultant

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Articles

Sasaki's plan for a "Central Park" in Florida soaks up brownfield toxins

Sasaki Turns a Disused Rail Yard Into Lovely Bonnet Springs Park

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Bonnet Springs Park

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Other Projects by Sasaki

The Lizzie and Jonathan Tisch Center for Innovation and Active Citizenship

Boston City Hall Plaza

Boston College Hoag Pavilion

Huangshi Bay Coastal Park Master Plan

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The Lawrenceville School Tsai Commons and Field House

Lehigh University Singleton, Hitch, and Maida Residential Houses

Bai'etan Exhibition Center Landscape

The Ellinikon Metropolitan Park and Coastal Front

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Shanghai Hongkou Stadium and Luxun Park

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Xinyang University South Bay Campus Master Plan

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Middlebury College Virtue Fieldhouse and Athletic District Plan

Georgetown University Pedro Arrupe, S.J Hall

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Product Spec Sheet

Collaborating Firms

Team

Articles