Manatee County's John H. Marble Park closes for improvements

As of May 22, John H. Marble Park is closed for the summer and beyond.

The 7-acre park, located on the corner of S.R. 70 and 53rd Avenue East, is undergoing major renovations. The project, expected to be “substantially complete” by fall 2024, is estimated to cost $18,964,102. 

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“Parks and Recreation locations are vital assets across our community,” Manatee County Sports and Leisure Services Deputy Director Molly White said. “This gives those out east an air-conditioned space to play.” 

Once reopened, the park will feature a double gymnasium, fitness center, upgraded pool deck, splash pad, a new picnic pavilion and fencing. The parking lot and sidewalks are being repaved. Stormwater management and the 37th Street entrance will also see improvements. To accommodate a turn lane, 37th Street is being widened.

A park in need of repair

The county took over John H. Marble Park in the mid-1990s. Over time, the facilities and grounds slowly deteriorated to the point that the park couldn't offer much in the way of services.

“The gymnasium was no longer in use for our summer camp program due to the conditions,” White said. “We were lucky enough to work with the school board and utilize school facilities to keep camp going throughout the summer until this project is complete.”

The gym hung in longer than expected, hosting camp up until two summers ago. That was surprising because Marble Park was close to becoming an abandoned site 10 years ago. Then, in the 2018 fiscal year, the park was placed on top of the priority list in the county’s Capital Improvement Plan. Funding for renovations is coming from infrastructure sales tax and impact fees.

The old gym is being demolished to make room for a new double gymnasium, new fencing and ADA compliant sidewalks. Pathways around the park were outdated. The new plan provides connectivity for all guests throughout the park. 

The pool area is being upgraded to include a larger deck, picnic pavilion and a 4,000-square-foot splash pad. 

Waiting for demolition are the current bathhouse, maintenance building, tennis, basketball and track courts. Two new tennis courts and a basketball court are on the list of future improvements. 

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A park worth saving

“When I got elected (in 2012), John Marble was not in my district, and still isn’t, but it’s close. At the time, the county was going to fill the pool in with dirt and get rid of it,” said District 5 Commissioner Vanessa Baugh. “I asked, ‘Why would you do that?’ We don’t really have any pools in Manatee County. We need John Marble.” 

As outdated as the facility may be, John Marble was filling a need in the community. Local swimmers used the pool to practice. It’s the closest 25-meter-long pool to Lakewood Ranch without having to drive to Arlington Park in Sarasota. 

Once reopened, the park, as a whole, will benefit all sorts of community groups and sports leagues that the gym and courts weren’t fit to host before. There will be youth and adult basketball, volleyball and pickleball leagues, Kinderskills for toddlers, exercise classes and health and wellness programs. 

Weight training, Zumba and floating yoga are among the exercise options. There will be rental space available to host parties and community rooms to host meetings. The camp will be able to accommodate over 300 children, which is nearly triple its old capacity. 

“We can use it for so many things,” Baugh said. “It’s taken a while to get the funds, but we need that community center.”