Fire destroys Greenbrook Adventure Park pavilion

Ken and Maria Van Slyck expected to take their regular Greenbrook Adventure Park walk on Wednesday morning with their five children.

It is a daily routine, and at least three days per week they would stop at the pavilion to swap books at the little library inside.

"And here in Lakewood Ranch, there are few places like this to get under the shade," Maria Van Slyck said.

After a fire destroyed the Greenbrook Adventure Park pavilion shortly after midnight on Wednesday, there is one less place, at least for now.

Deputy Chief Paul Wren of East Manatee Fire Rescue said his department answered a "smoke investigation" call at the park at 12:18 a.m. Wednesday.  When firefighters arrived on scene, the pavilion was burning and the roof already had partially collapsed.

Firefighters contained the fire and finished by 1:31 a.m., but the structure, which included the pavilion and restrooms, was a total loss.

East Manatee Fire Rescue is working with the state Fire Marshal's office to determine the cause of the blaze.

Photo by Jay Heater

Asked if it was likely fireworks were the cause of the fire, Wren said nothing has been determined.

"This is terrible," said Greenbrook's James White. "My wife and I walk here every morning. We were here at 8:35 p.m. (Tuesday night), and no one was here."

Other neighborhood residents who were walking through the park on Tuesday night said the park was a "ghost town."

Greenbrook's Stacey Carlin called the pavilion fire a "major loss" for the community.

"I'm just sad," she said. "I walk this park every day and they just finished putting in all the new (exercise) equipment. We moved here for this park. We've had parties here. 

Carlin said she saw one fire truck come into the neighborhood after midnight, then another, and another.

"It's so sad to see," Maria Van Slyck said. "I guess our main questions now are whether we will get it back, and will the folks who set up the library come back again?"

CCD 4 Board Chair Michael Griffin answered her first question.

"We will quickly deal with it," Griffin said. "The Adventure Park is such an important amenity to Greenbrook."

Griffin noted CDD 4 next meets July 12.

The park's facilities were closed to the public on Wednesday.