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The Village Council will hear more details about a $15M bond issuance during the January Village Council meeting. The money will go toward the purchase of a 5-acre property located at 11855 SW 60th Avenue – known as the Mas property — and capital improvements for various parks. The closing of the sale is slated for January 17.
The Village Council approved the purchase of the property during the 2023 November Council Meeting after discussing the possibility of acquiring property to use as a passive park during seven Council meetings, with the first being during the 2023 April Council meeting.
The property is located at the south end of the Village and will fulfill the Village Council’s commitment to having a green space within one mile or a 10-to-15-minute walk of every resident.
The property has exotic trees and plants, trails, a lagoon, and a large resort-like house. The Village plans to create a passive green space and indoor facility with its new acquisition.
The property was purchased for $10M, which is $2.5 M less than the average of two appraisals. The balance of the cost is a donation by the property owner in exchange for the property being named after Aleyda Mas, who is the wife of Jorge Mas, owner of MasTec, a construction and engineering company.
The property is horticulturally significant because it was originally owned by the Montgomery family, who are popularly known as the founders of Fairchild Gardens.
Once the sale closes, the Village will hire a consultant to commence the master planning process. It is expected this will occur sometime between April and June.
Master planning is a process that engages residents to inform the design and use of the park. There will be various public workshops where the master planning consultant will propose ideas for a passive park, with the goal being a resident-informed design.
