The Capital Cascades Trail Master Plan, completed in 2006, addressed a comprehensive program for new passive recreation development and extensive stormwater management facilities. The location for the project is in a 5.2-mile corridor through downtown Tallahassee’s southeast quadrant. Cascades Park, the centerpiece of this new green urban corridor, sits on a former EPA Superfund site and is a model for reuse of an abandoned industrial site for recreational uses and stormwater management.
The 25-acre Cascades Park is essentially a “floodable” park. It is designed around the overarching stormwater retrofit master plan, providing much-needed flood relief for this low-lying section of Florida’s Capital city. The stormwater plan encompasses the drainage basin north of the park site and the St. Augustine Branch which runs through the park for a total contributing drainage area of approximately 1,478 acres.
Resilient strategies applied to the project did not prevent the many useful amenities to exist. The Cascades Park boasts the following features:
- 1,546-seat amphitheater
- Cascade Fountain waterfall
- interactive fountain and water play area
- 3 miles of trails
- Meridian Plaza
- Discovery and Adventure Garden
- Korean War Memorial
The landscape design was planned to define and enhance the network of outdoor use areas throughout the site. Landscaping, lighting and emergency call stations are integrated throughout, ensuring safety for everyone. This project is a wonderful example of resilient strategies successfully brought to life, enhancing the existing park and greatly improving the surrounding communities.
