We Have A New Neighbor - Cascades Park

This week Tallahassee opened a new park between our home and the Capitol - it is called Cascades Park. What was once the site of beautiful waterfalls and one of the reason Tallahassee was selected our state capital - had slowly been turned to wasteland by the city's old coal fired power plant. Waste from the plant turned the area into an off limits polluted Superfund Site. 

It took almost 10 years and $30 million to reclaim the area. Now it has become a beauty mark between our home and the state Capitol building. 

Already we had a neighborhood group complaining about the possible noise of the park.

The new park includes an amphitheater which reminds one of the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. In the background is the old electric power plant - soon to be turned into a restaurant.

A re-creation of the old cascades waterfall and a small water park will draw visitors on the hot summer days.

The green dot is the Capitol - the blue dot is Cascades Park - and the red dot is our new home. Last night we rode our golf cart to the park for the first time. 

The fountain has dancing jets and synchronized lights that put on a little show.

Even on this cool day - kids were enjoying the action.

The whole park is really a disguised flood control zone.

During a flood -  these areas will fill and absorb the deluge.

To the right of the fountain is the Department of Education building. They took thousands of tons of coal tar out of this area - creating a 200 foot deep sinkhole. 

The park seems a little high maintenance with its flowers and trees. they say they having money in the budget to maintain it. 

This old coal fired plant powered the city for decades. I imagine the smoke stack were very attractive just a couple blocks from downtown and the Capitol. The plant is supposed to be turned into a restaurant - many other businesses are not happy with a private business being funded by tax money. 

Two bridges intersect to form the amphitheater. One bridge is north-south - the other east-west. The bridges intersect at the prime meridian marker. This is the spot where all the land surveys start in the state of Florida.