KEY LARGO – Just in time for Memorial Day Weekend, Monroe County is pleased to open Rowell’s Waterfront Park in Key Largo to the public for limited uses.

The kid- and dog-friendly park along Florida Bay will open May 27, featuring picnic tables, benches, a place to swim (at your own risk) and a launch for kayaks, canoes and standup paddleboards. The park, located at Mile Marker 104.5 on the Overseas Highway, will be open seven days a week, from 7:30 a.m. to sunset. And, admission is free.

“This is exactly what we promised on the day we purchased Rowell’s property,” said Monroe County Commissioner Sylvia Murphy, who represents the Upper Keys. “We said we were buying it because the price was right and that we would develop it at a future time. And we are now in the process of beginning that development.”

The 8-acre site was purchased in December 2013 for $5 million and has been used as an event site. The County has been putting together a five-year plan to develop the property into a park the community will love. A new scenic overlook is being designed with $125,000 from a Florida Department of Transportation grant.

The County put out a request for qualifications (RFQ) for engineering, design and permitting services for the scenic overlook project, but received only two proposals. FDOT said that was not a sufficient number of responses and directed the County to revise the scope description of the park development. An agenda item to reject the two proposals and advertise for a new RFQ will be heard at the May 18 Board of County Commissioners meeting in Key West. This does not change the Memorial Day Weekend opening of the park.

“We didn’t want to delay people enjoying the park any longer, so we have been preparing the park for limited water access and other uses that don’t require construction,” said Doug Sposito, Director of Project Management & Facilities for Monroe County. “Opening it now will also give people a chance to use the park and have better ideas on what else they would like.”

Murphy added: “Stay tuned. We will have another public meeting to gather input on how to make this a fabulous park that everyone will enjoy. It’s going to belong to the people forever.”