While a pedestrian bridge has been proposed to connect the park to the "greenway" to its south, it is my belief that the idea should fail. Without this connection to Freedom Park, bicycle traffic will be minimized which is necessary for the visitor's ideal connection to a wildlife experience.
Fred W. Coyle Freedom Park officially opened on 6 October 2009. The average cost for each of its near 50 acres was an amazing $384,000 in taxpayer dollars. The park is bordered by a highway to its south and west, a golf course to the north and undeveloped land to the east.
Stormwater treatment is a primary purpose of the park. Water that is directed into a near five acre pond from the highways and surrounding neighborhoods is then redirected into a few other "water filters." These comparatively insignificant waters then enter Naples Bay and the Gulf of Mexico cleaner via the Gordon River.
This venue appears to be a boon for the seeker of wildlife. As the dust has cleared from construction activity at Freedom Park it's clear that a good diversity of creatures will at least make a pit stop for their sustenance.
With great fortune I had the opportunity to observe and photograph a Broad-billed Hummingbird (BBIH), a rare visitor to Florida and Freedom Park. Wildlife aficionado Hemant Kishan described the BBIH here as a southeast Arizona specialty.
Follow the list of species that are seen at this park, and reported to eBird, certain to exceed 200 in time. Additionally, Freedom Park will at some point offer a memorial to those lost on 9/11.
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