Orlando's last urban forest gets destroyed for tennis courts

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The last urban forest within the Orlando city limits is being gutted to build a new tennis facility for the planned Packing District development.



For the past few weeks, heavy machinery has been ripping down thousands of trees in the doomed urban forest roughly bracketed by Princeton Street and the Orange Blossom Trail, just two miles northwest of downtown Orlando.

(See the devastation by clicking here.)

Not only is that the last forest in the city, but that area also hosts the headwaters for the Little Wekiva River. A tributary for the river runs down the edge of the land where the trees are being ripped down. The woods are a habitat for Swallow-tailed Kite, which flies 5,000 miles from South America to the southeastern United States. One kite was seen circling these woods on Monday. (7/29)

The headwaters nourish the popular and environmentally sensitive Wekiva Springs. The trees being ripped down also help absorb exhaust fumes from vehicles on Princeton, The Trail, and the John Young Parkway. The trees are on land is owned by the Dr. Phillips Foundation.

 The city plans to move the tennis center currently downtown near Creative Village to the urban forest site.



The devastation was approved by the Orlando city government, which proudly touts its Green Works Orlando initiative, which among other thing promises to keep Orlando environmentally sustainable by planting thousands of trees.

Asked how the destruction of the urban forest aligns with the goals of Green Works Orlando, a spokeswoman for Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer issued this statement:
“The City of Orlando is leveraging the Dr. Phillips Charities donation of land, as part of their development of the Packing District, to construct a new 66-acre regional public park. The city is working with Dr. Phillips, the St. Johns River Water Management District and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to ensure we are taking all the appropriate steps to develop responsibly in the area.”

It’s surprising that Orlando is allowing the wanton destruction of this forest considering that three years ago Orlando made a $6 million deal to buy land and save one tree at Constitution Green Park on Summerlin Avenue.

Of course, Constitution Green is on the politically and financially influential east side of downtown. The Packing District site is west of downtown.


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