OVIEDO, Fla. – More than two and a half years since Hurricane Ian, a popular park in Oviedo is finally expected to fully reopen this month, with a new and improved senior center.
In 2022, heavy rain flooded Riverside Park and nearby Lockwood Boulevard. The pool and community center building were damaged along with other amenities.
Recreation and Parks Director Paul Belden said 25 inches of water flooded the facility after the storm. It took months to perform damage assessments and figure out a plan for repairs, but the park is back open.
“We actually awarded the bid to the contractor in February of 2024, and here we are a little over a year past that and we’re almost complete,” said Belden.
Belden gave News 6 a tour of the grounds during a soft opening in March. The pool is back open and hosting aquatic aerobics classes and water polo practices. There are also new racquetball courts that are almost complete, and a fully remodeled building that will be home for a senior center.
“It’s refreshing,” said Belden. “Staff is getting into their rhythm again of programming at the facility, especially for the senior programming.”
The city had plans to open a much-anticipated senior center two days after the hurricane hit, but the storm changed everything. Now, more than two years later, their vision for a multi-purpose senior facility is finally coming together.
Belden showed News 6 the remodeled entryway where various programs will be advertised and where staff will greet community members. There is also a multi-purpose room that will serve as a true gathering place.
“We can have multiple card games set up. We can have an art class taking place on the north side of the building. We can have fitness, exercise classes. It’s pretty much endless,” Belden said. “It’s really going to be learning what the seniors want the city to offer and what we want to bring to them.”
Belden envisions many social clubs will be formed, and as the clubs grow, they will continue to grow as more senior gather here. The space will be open for seniors from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. six days a week, and then open to the public as well.
“We feel that being healthy, active for your body and also your mind, will help them feel at home,” said Belden. “We’re just blessed that we can offer this to them.”
Belden said the overall cost of the project for the assessments, remediation and remodel is $1.3 million. He sees the money as an investment into what Riverside can offer to Oviedo’s residents.
“It’s different,” Belden said. “We’re excited because we really want to make this a home for the senior community. We want to bring as many residents back to the park because we offer so many amenities.”