Farewell to Local Classics as College Park Neighborhood Faces Park Renovations

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Significant changes are coming to some cherished green areas in Orlando’s College Park neighborhood, including the removal of a well-loved oak tree.

“I’m heartbroken. This tree is a College Park landmark,” resident Anne Marie Melvin expressed. “Our family enjoys visiting here. We’ve had family picnics and made numerous memories in this place.”

Since falling during a storm in 2020, the tree has become a favored location for photographers, enduring as an emblem of Albert Park in College Park.

“They did everything they could to keep it. That’s why I’m shocked that they’re taking it away,” said Melvin.

Also going away: the iconic white gazebo in Albert Park. A city spokesperson told News 6 that it’ll be replaced by a new pavilion.

The plans include a new 20’ x 30′ pavilion with a stage, additional seating, updated lighting and landscaping and a new viewing area. As part of the renovation, the gazebo and the large oak tree near Edgewater Drive, originally damaged in 2020, will be removed to make way for new landscaping and to protect future plantings. Five winged elms, one golden trumpet, eight crape myrtles and five high-rise oaks will be planted as part of the reimagined park design, said City of Orlando Public Information Manager Ashley Papagni.

Papagni says the city is also working to keep the legacy of the old oak tree alive, with 100 seedlings grown from the tree’s acorns.

“Regarding the oak tree seedlings: we do have 100 Albert Park oak seedlings grown from acorns collected before the tree’s removal. The plan is to distribute 50 seedlings at the tentative groundbreaking July 17 and the remaining 50 at the ribbon-cutting event for when the park is opened. In the meantime, once the oak is removed, a sign will be placed at the park inviting residents to connect with city staff if they are interested in a seedling,” said Papagni.

“The long-term plan is we want the community business district to really be between Albert and Dartmouth (parks),” said Orlando City Commissioner Robert Stuart. “So that Albert and Dartmouth are kind of a book end.”

Commissioner Stuart says it’s all part of the redesign of Edgewater Drive, with Albert Park matching nearby Dartmouth Park. Meanwhile, Dartmouth Park will also see changes to land that the city acquired in 2019.

“So we’re going to have a green space in the middle, sidewalks on both sides will lead up to the space. On both sides of that, there’ll be a sitting area, said Stuart.

Stuart said they will not be installing any bathrooms in the parks because they are “passive” parks. So what will happen to the white gazebo in Albert Park?

“The plan is, if we can pull it off, to move it at the end of (Dartmouth) Park, down at the far end and have the gazebo down there,” said Stuart. “If we don’t do it there, we’re going to move it over to Lake Ivanhoe and put it there, but the gazebo was bought by College Park, I’m going to keep it in College Park, but it’s just not functional where it is.”

Commissioner Stuart says the renovations to Dartmouth Park will cost about $800,000, while Albert Park renovations will cost about $1.1 million.