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<\/p>\nSEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. \u2013 More than a decade since Rolling Hills Golf Club closed in the Longwood area, it looks like construction is finally about to begin to turn the old course into a community park. <\/p>\n
On Tuesday, commissioners took another step forward towards the transformation. Our News 6 team spoke with the director of the Parks & Recreation Department, Rick Durr, about the anticipated start date. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll have signed contracts with the contract here shortly once the board finishes with business,\u201d said Durr. \u201cAnd then the contractor will start to mobilize according to their contracts and schedule. They would be starting that in earnest in about March.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Rolling Hills golf course, which was originally established in 1926, closed over ten years ago. Homeowners fought a plan to put houses in its place before the county purchased the former golf course property in 2018. <\/p>\n
[COVERING SEMINOLE COUNTY: Commissioners consider future of closed Winter Springs golf course]<\/p>\n
Plans have been underway to transform nearly 100 acres into a public park for years, but there have been roadblocks along the way, including the discovery that some of the old golf course land was contaminated. <\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s just a lot of moving pieces,\u201d Durr explained. \u201cWe\u2019ve had groundwater remediation to deal with. We\u2019ve had soil remediation to deal with. All of that\u2019s been completed, but all of that then goes through the state. So, we\u2019ve had multiple state agencies that have had to approve the project as it goes through various reviews.\u201d<\/p>\n
At Tuesday\u2019s meeting, commissioners mentioned some of the history before taking the next steps forward towards the finish line. <\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve owned two homes in that neighborhood and lived there for 20 plus years,\u201d said Commissioner Andria Herr. \u201cWe were all very well advised of it.\u201d<\/p>\n
[WATCH: Seminole County golf course to become a park (from 2019)]<\/p>\n
The $20,360,224 project includes plans for a 4-mile paved trail, landscaping upgrades, pavilions, a pier overlook, parking, and more. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt will be fully ADA accessible,\u2019 said Durr. \u201cSo where we have some difficult grades, we\u2019ll flatten some things out and make sure they all work out.\u201d<\/p>\n
Durr explained the improvements go beyond the park, too, and also include upgrades to utilities and roads. Work on phase 1 will include the reconstruction of North Street, where a roundabout will be put in. <\/p>\n
The county anticipates construction on phase 1 will be done in 2027. <\/p>\n
Homeowners like Luke Fulford said he remembers playing golf at Rolling Hills. <\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m sad that it\u2019s gone, but I\u2019m glad,\u201d said Fulford. \u201cI\u2019m just glad that they\u2019re not putting in houses. I mean, there might be more traffic, but that\u2019s everywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n
Seminole County is also working to develop Deer Run, another old golf course, into a park. It was purchased in 2021. A design agreement for the clubhouse was approved in November, and the design process is expected to continue this year. <\/p>\n
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