Manatee County commissioners voted 5-1 on July 28 to grant $25,000 to help fund a pocket park in a vacant field in Palmetto’s Downtown Main Street district.
Rowena Young, executive director of the Palmetto Community Redevelopment Agency, made the request for the park, which will be a temporary use until development approval for the property is granted. The park will then be relocated to another CRA location, she said.
City leaders hope the park will attract customers for downtown businesses, encouraging them to stay open later and helping to revitalize the economy, Young said.
County Commissioner Amanda Ballard called the idea a “great opportunity to activate a space in Palmetto that has been severely underutilized,” and said it was a “great small investment that has huge dividends.”