The town of Palm Beach broke ground Friday on a restoration project for Phipps Ocean Park, which has been four years in the making.
Community members gathered for a ceremony for the long-planned redevelopment of the historic park.
Located just north of the Palm Beach Par 3 Golf Course, the park was donated in 1948 by the Phipps family and has not been updated since.
The $30 million project plans to revitalize the space into a lush native landscape.
Some improvements include an outdoor classroom, a coastal restoration center, a playground and enhanced recreational facilities.
A key part of the project is the relocation of the “Little Red Schoolhouse” within the park to protect it from frequent flooding and wind. It was the first schoolhouse in Palm Beach County, constructed in 1886.
Leaders with the Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach said the major revamp is the product of the community for the community.
“This park is for everyone,” Amanda Skier, president and CEO of the Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach. “It’s a public park which is exactly what the Phipps family intended it to be in donating the land, and so this is really a momentous project and occasion for all of our community, not just the town of Palm Beach.”
Construction is set to begin in June and is expected to wrap up in August 2025 with the park opening in the fall.