'Linear park' in the works for Lake Nona

LAKE NONA, Fla. (FOX 35 ORLANDO) - Call it a green highway. Tavistock Development Company is using a different approach to Lake Nona’s next park. It is called a “linear park" and will feature a picturesque connector between the town center and Laureate residential area.

“We’re doing bike trails, autonomous vehicle trails, pedestrian trails,” said Ralph Ireland, Vice President, Tavistock Development Company. “It’ll be kind of like a hub that connects our employment center to all of our neighborhoods.”

The privately-funded park will feature greenspace, play and gathering areas along a half-mile stretch, accompanied by a waterway to catch storm water.

“I think the combination of integrating, kind of like this pedestrian and bicycle environment, with a great treatment of storm water, is really unique,” Ireland said.

Thinking outside the box is becoming the norm for Lake Nona.

“The ability to get from one place to another in an atypical way, to be able to ride your bike, I’d love to ride my bike through this park to get to the town center one day,” Ireland said.

The proposed project is expected to be complete by late 2020.