RIVIERA BEACH — The city of Riviera Beach launched a $1.1 million improvement project last week for one of its most blighted neighborhoods.
On Wednesday evening, the Board of the Riviera Beach Community Redevelopment Agency approved a plan to build a community garden and a park and to rebuild sidewalks throughout the Riviera Beach Heights community, which is along Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard east of Australian Avenue.
The Riviera Heights plan.
Both the garden and park will be built on derelict vacant lots. The park will start across the street from West Riviera Elementary School and extend through the neighborhood with a meandering path, palm trees and benches, before ending at MLK Boulevard and Eighth Street.
When finished, the entire neighborhood will also have new sidewalks complaint with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Contractors on the projects will be required to have a minimum 20 percent apprentice workforce. The project was designed by Song and Associates architecture, and the work will be performed by All-Site Construction.
These projects are part of the CRA’s long-term improvement plan for Riviera Beach Heights.
Also Wednesday, the city approved items related to its planned $375 million marina redevelopment, which means construction could begin as soon as Tuesday.