Conceptual image of the Everglades Greenway Bike Loop bridge. {Carnahan, Proctor, and Cross, INC.}
By Kevin Deutsch
Some of the construction needed to build the much-anticipated Everglades Greenway Loop in Coral Springs has gotten underway as officials continue to work on the project’s design and seek funds for construction, according to the city.
Portions of the required building for the project have begun at the Amazon property on Sample Road and along the Foundry Trailer Storage project, according to Coral Springs city officials.
The Everglades Loop project will create a 10-mile greenway loop that connects Coral Springs to the Florida Everglades. The loop is expected to include a scenic overlook area for nature lovers, a pedestrian bicycle bridge across the Sawgrass Expressway at Wiles Road, a small restaurant, and a pavilion. The trail will also include restrooms, shade structures, and bike stations along the city’s western border.
“The creation of this greenway loop will serve as a location for nature enthusiasts to experience environmental and wildlife education,” states a funding request document submitted to the state legislature last year. “The path will allow citizens to have an active and healthy lifestyle outdoors” by improving walkability and safe biking.
“The Everglades Greenway loop will open up the largest subtropical wilderness in the United States to nature enthusiasts, providing for greater educational opportunities about the wetlands and its impact on our ecosystem,” the request stated.
According to city design documents, part of the project will take an existing pedestrian-bike loop and connect it to an empty five-acre site on Sportsplex Drive, just south of Coral Glades High School. At that site, the city plans to include a facility for the public to gather and view the sunset over the Everglades.
The design documents estimate construction costs for the loop project at around $16 million, plus another $4 million for design, engineering, inspection, and related costs. The construction costs would include an estimated $3.8 million for a floating dock, $2.2 million for sidewalk replacement, and around $10 million for the pedestrian-bicycle bridge.
The city is applying for various state and federal funding sources to pay for as much of the project as possible, according to city spokesperson Lindsey Steinberg.
“We do not have the final design; therefore cannot project the city’s contributions at this time, but again the goal is to obtain as much grant funding as possible,” Steinberg said.
The city received $133,000 in pandemic rescue funds that paid for a detailed project design report. In December 2023, the city submitted a grant application through the state’s SunTrail program for approximately $9.1 million to construct the pedestrian-bicycle bridge.
Coral Springs Commissioner Joshua Simmons said the loop project aims to create “a destination attraction” that would serve as “one of the only immersive pathways connecting South Florida with the majestic Everglades.”
“We look forward to keeping the community ‘in the loop’ on this exciting community project and can’t wait to unveil it once complete,” Simmons said.
It is not clear what year the project might be completed.
“We are still in the design phase; therefore, we do not have a specific timeline,” Steinberg said.
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Author Profile
- Kevin Deutsch is an award-winning crime journalist and author. A graduate of Florida International University, Kevin has worked on staff at The Miami Herald, New York Daily News, and The Palm Beach Post.
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