Lake Lorna Doone Park, the 12-acre historic community park located in Orlando’s West Lakes neighborhood will re-open soon, after having been closed since summer of 2019 for an $8 million renovation. Funding came from a variety of sources, with the city being the largest contributor, dedicating $5 million to the park. Florida Citrus Sports kicked in an additional $3 million. Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, who has been central to the development of Lake Lorna Doone, says it will be on par with Lake Eola Park.
The Collage Companies is the General Contractor for the new Lake Lorna Doone park which was built for Florida Citrus Sports Association and the City of Orlando. Collage also partnered with Florida Citrus Sports Association and the City of Orlando on the renovation of The Founder’s Club in 2018 and is currently teamed with Barton Malow working on the $60M renovation project at Camping World Stadium.
In 1955, Lake Lorna Doone Park was the site of the first integrated Little League Baseball game played in the south. And now, the reinvigorated space features the city’s first playground designed for special-needs children, as well as Orlando’s first splash pad. The West Lakes neighborhoods and residents have been actively involved in the revitalization effort, the park continues to serve as the community meeting spot and is used for everything from cookouts to exercise. It’s been community effort with the Orlando Magic providing a set of basketball courts and OUC building the solar pavilions.
The project included re-configuration of internal park roads and parking, playground, and spray (splash) park areas, community garden, a nature path (named after Winne Palmer), park restroom facilities, fitness trails with fitness stations and ecology boardwalks, central solar pavilion with photovoltaic power system, multi-purpose event lawn area, renovated basketball courts, community chess areas and golf course. A central part of the project is the installation of a focal-point fountain in the center of Lake Lorna Doone. “The fountain will forever be a symbol of the vibrant spirit of the people living in the Communities of West Lakes,” says Brian A. Walsh, Founder of The Collage Companies – who has committed to funding the estimated $50,000 needed to design, build and install the fountain.