Chain of Lakes Park Parking Lot to Undergo Resurfacing with Additional Parking Spaces
by James Coulter
After 20 years without resurfacing, Chain of Lakes Park will have its old northwest parking lot resurfaced, while new parking is added to the southwest.
The Ordinance approved a budget amendment transferring $110,000 from the City’s general fund to the construction fund for a proposed Change Order. The total work to mill and resurface the Northwest Parking Area is $209,914.
The funding for this work is coming from the budget amendment and savings in the existing contract. The City previously approved a separate Change Order in 2025 for the construction of an additional parking lot on the Southwest side of the complex.
This work included 358 new parking spaces (233 paved spaces and 125 stabilized-grass spaces), and the sodding and creation of a “great lawn” along with additional landscaping, trees, and a fountain for the retention pond and is nearing completion.
“The Fieldhouse’s northwest parking lot has not been resurfaced in more than 20 years,” wrote CJ Scott, Chief Financial Officer.
“Due to cost savings realized within the Chain of Lakes Park Phase II project, along with savings in the Parks and Recreation operating budget, there is an opportunity to engage the existing contractor, Rodda Construction, to complete the resurfacing while they remain mobilized on site,” he further explained.
Located at 210 Cypress Gardens Blvd., Chain of Lakes Park originally consisted of a baseball field built in 1966 and capable of holding 7,000 people. The site served as the spring training home of the Boston Red Sox from 1966 until 1992, when the team moved to City of Palms Park in Fort Myers. The stadium was demolished in 2024, with plans by the city and county to replace it with new baseball diamonds and general-purpose athletic fields.
Phase I has since been completed with four artificial‑turf baseball fields, batting cages and bullpen facilities, covered and protected spectator seating, and additional new amenities supporting the baseball complex.
The redevelopment, planned in two phases, would not only modernize outdated facilities but also expand programming capacity and solve severe parking shortages experienced at previous sporting events. The City of Winter Haven had initially budgeted $20,000,000 for the project for the fiscal year 2024/25.
The City of Winter Haven hosts year-long baseball and softball programs. Upcoming sporting events include the 2026 Perfect Game Season Opener scheduled for Aug. 28–30, 2026. Learn more about other sports programs and events at: https://www.mywinterhaven.com/272/Athletics
