The National Park Service (NPS) is excited to share an update on the site plan for the Gulf Coast district of Everglades National Park, which includes refinements to site planning work completed in 2012 and approved in the park’s 2015 General Management Plan (GMP). In addition, the site was significantly impacted by Hurricane Irma in 2017. The updated site plan will address infrastructure damage sustained by the hurricane.
Updates to the site plan include creating a new public entryway off the roadway and elevating areas to address tidal impact and seasonal flooding. The areas to be elevated include paved parking, the new entryway, waterfront areas, bulkheads and other key infrastructure. Dredging the marina basin and boat channels to restore access for park staff and recreational non-motorized vessels is also included in this plan update.
“We are pleased to be at this stage with the proposed improvements to the facilities of the Gulf Coast District of Everglades National Park”, said Sabrina Diaz, deputy superintendent of Everglades and Dry Tortugas national parks. “We look forward to seeing the new opportunities for park visitors to explore and connect with their national park, as well as facilitating opportunities for growth and economic development for the local communities.”
These additions to the 2015 development proposal are focused on improving the visitor experience, protecting cultural and natural resources, and making the site resilient to climate change throughout the next 50 years.
Park and concessions staff have been operating out of temporary facilities since 2017 when Hurricane Irma damaged the previous facilities.
As envisioned in the 2015 GMP, a new visitor center would be constructed, the park’s administrative and maintenance footprint would be minimized to increase visitor access to the waterfront and areas of the site would be reclaimed and rehabilitated. Consistent with the guidance from the 2015 GMP, the new facilities incorporate hurricane resiliency features that are typical of coastal construction as well as sustainability principles.
The new visitor center will fulfill a congressional mandate which directed the park to honor the legacy of Marjory Stoneman Douglas. The overall site improvements would allow the Gulf Coast site to once again function as a major entryway to the western portion of Everglades National Park.
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