Two Waterside communities unveil a park at their midway point

In looking over the new Midway Park, which has been built between the Wild Blue and Shellstone neighborhoods, OnPlace Vice President of Marketing Mackenzie Straley was having a hard time picking out her favorite aspect of the park.

So she didn't. She basically liked everything.

"I love that the finishes are above and beyond," Straley said. "We went the extra mile, and took the extra steps. There was a lot of intentional thinking that went into it."

The 13-acre park will be unveiled to the public and the two Waterside communities it will serve with a grand opening noon to 3 p.m. April 12 at 1000 Sandpoint Way, Lakewood Ranch. The joint project of Stock Development and Homes by Towne will offer resort-style amenities for the residents.

The facility will include multiple sports courts (tennis, pickleball, and basketball), and an artificial turf events field. It will be a centralized hub for social events and activities. Among the events being planned are monthly food truck nights, the Midway Live Concert Series, and Sunset Social Happy Hours.

Also among the facilities are an expansive playground, a BBQ pavilion, an open-air pavilion, two dog parks, an outdoor fitness circuit, a kayak launch for Lake Merganser, and trails for walking and bike riding.

The grand opening will include live music, food and drink, and family-friendly games and activities. The event is open to the general public so people can experience the two neighborhoods.

Photo by Jay Heater

Straley was serious when she said a lot of "intentional" thinking went into the park. OnPlace, a consulting firm that assists its clients in crafting experiences for their customers to maximize return on investment through placemaking, marketing and lifestyle, has been working with Homes by Towne and Stock for three years on the park. Also involved in the process has been Blackwood Sports. Also on the dsign team were Joiner Architecture and Interior Design, and Dix-Hite Landscape Architecture.

John Woodman, a division manager of Homes by Towne, said Schroeder-Manatee Ranch President and CEO Rex Jensen originally proposed the idea of a shared park that would connect the two communities. "The idea was that with more lots, more dollars could be applied to (the park)," Woodman said.

Jensen suggested that instead of building two smaller parks for the residents of each community that they build one large park to be shared.

Wild Blue eventually will be a community of 505 homes while Shellstone will have 684 homes.

"This (park) adds an extra layer," Woodman said. "We're selling the lifestyle."

Photo by Jay Heater

OnPlace's Samantha Radcliff has been hired to be the program director for the park.

"This is exciting," Radcliff said. "We can hold league and have events. With the size of the event lawn, there is so much I can do."

"With the overall scale, there will be something for everyone," Woodman said.

Straley said the park will have a tennis and pickleball pro and a staff of six to eight overall.