Osceola, Ark., updates court deck in historic Florida Park
When Mayor Joe Harris Jr. was elected in 2021, he promised that Osceola, Ark., would become an ideal place to live, work and play. As part of that pledge, the historic Florida Park has been given a whole lot of love with a renovated tennis court deck and more updates to come.
“It’s a project that has been needed for a long time,” said Michael Ephlin, director of parks and recreation for the city of Osceola. “The courts were cracked and virtually unplayable.”
Restoring a proud past
The land that became Florida Park was donated to the city in 1954, and during those early years, a number of amenities were constructed on the property, including the tennis courts, a swimming pool, playground, an area for baseball and a Scout Hut, which held programming for both the boys and girls scouting organizations. As the decades wore on, the park fell into disrepair. In addition to the cracked tennis courts, the municipal pool became unusable due to age and was filled in. The roof of the Scout Hut caved in, and the walls crumbled so it had to be torn down. For Ephlin, the deterioration of the once beautiful Florida Park was personal, and he was determined to do something about it.
“Florida Park was always special to me,” he said. “It was where I grew up playing league baseball and tennis. I swam in the pool and I attended Scout meetings in the hut … so I wanted to make sure that today’s kids could enjoy Florida Park the way that I did.”
In 2021, the city applied for and received a 50/50 matching grant from the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism to renovate Florida Park. The total award was $150,000, with $75,000 coming from the state and $75,000 coming from the city. Ephlin and city leaders planned to use the money to resurface the tennis court deck, rehabilitate the surface under one playground and make sure everything was Americans with Disabilities Act compliant. However, after getting bids on the project, it was going to cost more than anyone had expected, and they had to look for a way to make up the difference.
“Because Mayor Harris has put such an emphasis on quality of life, a decision was made to go after a $.01 sales tax to not only complete the project but also maintain it for years to come,” Ephlin said. “After explaining to the public exactly how far a penny could go, the tax passed in a landslide, and in today’s world, that just doesn’t happen. It just goes to show how much our citizens care.”
The entire court deck was resurfaced, and tennis lines repainted on three of the original courts. However, the city opted to also install four pickleball courts as well, given the sport’s growing popularity. The fall zone has been replaced under one playground, and all the sidewalks and parking surfaces have been made ADA compliant. On Aug. 5, the city turned out to attend a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the improved Florida Park, which warmed Ephlin’s heart. He said there has been a great response to the work that was completed, and they are happy to have a place to play tennis once again.
“We … now have a place for our high school tennis team to practice, so it is a win-win all around,” Ephlin said.
Future plans
With the success of the Florida Park project, the parks department is eager to start work on the Osceola water park, which will feature an outdoor area that can be used in the summer months and an indoor space for year-round use. Ephlin said the project will be huge for Osceola because it will give the citizenry something fun to do without having to go elsewhere to do it. It will also give the city a chance to organize swim teams, offer lessons and offer recreation that doesn’t have to be sports related. While the department is still in the design phase of what is expected to be a $12 million project, it hopes to start construction in the near future. Other projects it hopes to implement at some point include upgrades to the municipal golf course and sports complex, along with renovations at the city’s two community centers and more TLC to area parks.
Ephlin said community leaders are hard at work to improve the quality of life for those who live, work and visit Osceola, and it’s a dream come true for him to be part of it.
“I remember what we used to have when I was a kid, and now I get the opportunity to make sure that the next generation has the same kinds of amenities,” he said. “I will work nonstop to make sure that they have so much to do that they will want to make Osceola, Arkansas, their lifelong home!”
The newly resurfaced tennis deck and pickleball courts in Florida Park are the first step in the restoration of one of the city’s historic recreation areas. Parks and Recreation Director Michael Ephlin said the $.01 sales tax increase will help fund additional improvements and maintain them for years to come. (Photo provided by Osceola Parks and Recreation) 
Thanks to a $150,000 50/50 grant between the city of Osceola and the state of Arkansas, the tennis court deck at Florida Park has been resurfaced and four pickleball courts have been installed. Pictured is a before and after. (Photos provided by Osceola Parks and Recreation) 
Thanks to a $150,000 50/50 grant between the city of Osceola and the state of Arkansas, the tennis court deck at Florida Park has been resurfaced and four pickleball courts have been installed. Pictured is a before and after. (Photos provided by Osceola Parks and Recreation) A ribbon-cutting was held in early August on the recently resurfaced tennis deck located at Florida Park in Osceola. The project was a part of Mayor Joe Harris Jr.’s pledge to make quality of life a priority during his time in office. (Photo provided by Osceola Parks and Recreation) One playground had its surface rehabilitated in Florida Park. (Photo provided by Osceola Parks and Recreation)
