Partners break ground on underserved community’s only park

After years of collaboration between county, municipal and community partners, an unincorporated area with high poverty and unemployment rates will soon have a park.

Pinellas County Government, school district and City of Largo officials ceremoniously broke ground Tuesday on High Point Community Park. The $5.5 million project will transform an expansive vacant lot and crumbling asphalt into a vibrant community amenity.

The park will feature multi-use athletic fields, basketball courts, picnic shelters, lighting and a playground when completed in early 2026. Brian Lowack, CEO of Visit St. Pete-Clearwater, noted the project’s impact on area residents.

“I think people often take parks for granted,” Lowack said. “Certainly, here in the High Point community – they don’t.”

High Point, home to roughly 4,000 people, is about two miles west of St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport. Nearly a third of area residents live below the poverty line, and the unemployment rate is almost 10 times higher than the national average.

High Point was also a federally designated food desert and medically underserved area. Commissioner Chris Latvala said Tuesday that many of the park’s neighbors lack vehicles and “there’s not a lot of stores nearby.”

“So, having something here that people can go and congregate and have a sense of community is a tremendous deal,” Latvala added. “This just shows that when different government entities work together … great things can happen for our residents.”

County officials formed a community advisory group in 2021 to help guide area improvements. Lowack said they hosted neighborhood meetings and met with residents on their porches and driveways.

He credited those face-to-face interactions for “how we got here today.” Lowack also noted that visitors provide about a third of Penny for Penny tax dollars, which officials used to help fund the project.

Pinellas County Schools provided the land, once home to the former High Point Elementary School. Commissioners dedicated American Rescue Plan Act funding to the park, and administrators will oversee construction.

The City of Largo will implement programming and maintain the site. Mayor Woody Brown said the park, with spaces for local youth sports teams and “passive park amenities for residents to appreciate nature,” is “truly multi-use.”

The High Point community lost its only park in 2005.

Brown recently received a news article from 2005, when the community lost its sole “little park.” The 19-year-old clipping said “It’ll be back.”

“It’s back,’ Brown added. “It took a little while, but I’m happy it’s coming back.”

School Superintendent Kevin Hendrick said the project is long overdue. In addition to lacking parks and athletic fields, he noted that “playgrounds are scarce” in High Point.

The park will sit between the new High Point Elementary School and Pinellas Technical College’s Clearwater campus. The facility will serve elementary students during school hours and remain open to the public in the afternoon, evening and on weekends.

The athletic fields will provide a much-needed venue for youth soccer, lacrosse and flag football. Hendrick said the local government entities “wanted this so bad” that they fought through various obstacles to see the project to fruition.

Commissioner Charlie Justice expressed the benefits of designing something from scratch. He credited the various local government stakeholders for “doing what we should do all the time – collaborating for the benefit of our citizens.”

“Together, we will create a safe and welcoming space for all to enjoy the great outdoors with friends and family,” Justice said. “It’s an incredible quality of life amenity.”