BROOKSVILLE — A wooden train playground is coming to Russell Street Park, paid for not by the city but by the president of Brooksville Main Street and his wife.
The City Council voted 5-0 on Aug. 17 to approve the playground, the first phase of a downtown revitalization plan that Christopher Rhodes and his wife, Lauren, have offered to fund themselves. The council will weigh later phases as they come.
All the city would need to provide is mulch, Rhodes said.
He calls the effort the Brooksville Main Street Downtown Revitalization Initiative, and he pitched it to the council as a way to give residents places to go, have fun and take pride in their city.
“I love Brooksville,” Rhodes said. “It’s everything to me.”
Rhodes, board president of Brooksville Main Street, moved to the city from Hudson in 2021 but has been coming here much of his life. He bought a house and has taken part in a range of civic activities.
He said he wants purposeful, permanent change downtown. He and others have already painted one mural, and a second is planned for later this year.
Russell Street Park is personal for Rhodes: He lives nearby, and he proposed to his wife there.
“It is an amazing park,” he said.
The train will be anchored against hurricane winds and will include interactive exhibits for children. Rhodes also wants the park renamed Russell Street Community Park, and his presentation included a proposed sign.
Later phases would add game boards and benches, a simulated railroad track pathway and seating areas where people could gather. Rhodes said he would also like to plant a “tangerine grove,” place a marker where the city’s old water tower stood and let businesses that donate put their names on benches.
After a lengthy discussion, council members agreed the plan was a good one.
Council Member Louis Hallal said he appreciated what Rhodes has done for the city.
“I absolutely love your vision for the south part of the town, for that park,” Hallal said.
Vice Mayor Thomas Bronson called it a blueprint people can invest in.
Mayor Christa Tanner asked about the construction timeline and noted that Rhodes would have to coordinate with the Parks Department.
Rhodes said he and his wife are ready to start.
Hallal said the council should direct staff to work with him.
Rhodes’ presentation is available at https://tinyurl.com/2myeczf3, page 22.
Fiber coming in 2027
Representatives of WOW told the council the company plans to install fiber optic cable throughout the city, expanding residents’ options for internet service.
Courtney Stevens, director of construction, said most of the cable will run on Duke Energy and Withlacoochee River Electric Cooperative poles, with some placed underground.
Fiber offers a “rock-solid connection” that isn’t subject to interference, Stevens said, and subscribers will get equipment at no charge.
Upload and download speeds will range from 300 megabits per second to 5 gigabits per second, he said, with prices from $40 to $140 a month. There are no contracts and no data caps.
The company is serving Spring Hill now and expects to begin construction in Brooksville in 2027, Stevens said. WOW plans to hire locally so problems can be handled the same day they are reported.
Door tags will go up in neighborhoods before construction begins, Stevens said, and crews will restore any yards or rights of way they dig up. The company will seek permission to use easements and will give the city a dedicated phone number and email address for problems.
Council members called the project a positive development and said competition is always good.
In other action
The council commended the Junior Service League on its 90th anniversary. Members turned out in force and posed for a photo with the council.
The council also voted 5-0 to waive a rule so horses can be ridden on some streets during Founder’s Day. The Hernando Historical Museum Association is still weighing the idea, and it would depend on owners’ willingness to let their horses walk on brick streets. If the ride happens, the association said, volunteers will follow to clean up after the animals.