Palm Beach Gardens to move Amanda Buckley softball memorial to high school campus

PALM BEACH GARDENS — The city will rename the Palm Beach Gardens High School softball field after Amanda Buckley, the one-time standout Gators player who was murdered in 2007, as it transforms a city park and the ball field where she is now honored into an ice-rink complex.

For now, the diamond at Plant Drive Park near the school bears Buckley's name. The field’s scoreboard is emblazoned with the words “Amanda J. Buckley Field of Dreams” and will move to the high school as well, Charlotte Presensky, the city’s leisure services administrator, told the City Council on Thursday, May 2.

Presensky said the city has spoken with Buckley's family about the move and that the family supports the plan.

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The announcement came at a council meeting that saw more than 30 people clad in teal T-shirts turn out to criticize the city's plans for Plant Drive Park, where the ice rink complex is scheduled to open in the summer of 2026. A foundation will pay the project's estimated price of $40 million.

Objectors to the plan urged the city to reverse its decision and keep the 8-acre park, one of the city's oldest, in its present state. They said they didn't believe Palm Beach Gardens officials did enough to inform area residents of its plans, which involve removing the city's lone skatepark. Officials have not said whether they plan to build a new one.

One man even brought along his skateboarding son in making his point. “It’s a beautiful, peaceful park, and to me, it’s home,” Luke Vanderpol said.

Despite the objections, the council did not change its plans. The project, however, risks cancellation if its sponsor, the nonprofit Palm Beach North Athletic Foundation, fails to meet six- and 15-month funding requirements. The foundation has agreed to share its revenues with the city once the rink complex opens.

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Palm Beach Gardens announced ice-rink plans for Plant Drive Park in August

Palm Beach Gardens has shown interest in bringing an ice-rink complex to northern Palm Beach County for a few years. The county's other two rinks are at least 10 miles to the south, near West Palm Beach and Lake Worth Beach.

The project was once bigger and planned for Gardens North County District Park, a county facility overseen by the city, but it turned into something that foundation founder Michael Winter said proved to be “too ambitious.” The former plan failed when the project did not meet budget benchmarks in 2022.

The city first discussed plans for a rink complex at Plant Drive Park in August 2023, and the foundation hopes it can become a home for ice hockey, figure skating, public skating and even curling in Palm Beach County. Former NHL great Wayne Gretzky plans to operate a hockey school there.

A city study also found that Plant Drive Park is not being used to its fullest potential, and noted some issues with vandalism. Two other city parks, Gardens and Lilac parks also lie within a half mile of Plant Drive Park and offering residents options.

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The City Council voted unanimously to proceed with the rink complex April 4 but did not have a significant level of conversation at its meeting prior to that vote. The city's staff also did not meet with the park's neighbors prior to the vote, a city spokesperson said.

The City Council has approved conceptual plans for the ice rink facility project so far. Its plans will go through at least two city boards, which could make changes to the project, and another vote by the council.

City Communications Director Candice Temple said that questions posed by the public will be addressed, but the city is "simply not at the point in the process" where they can give those explanations.

Speakers told the council they wished there had been more conversation prior to April 4. Mike Martino, a former mayor and City Council member, said he believes the Plant Drive Park agreement was done in a secretive way.

Evan Emerson, a Palm Beach Gardens High School graduate, questioned whether there has been sufficient public demand for a rink to support the public-private partnership in place for the project.

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High school prefers on-campus diamond to one at Plant Drive Park

Presensky said the school’s principal and athletic director prefer their softball team use the high school field rather than the one at Plant Drive Park. This is because they must send an administrator with any student who goes there to play there for school purposes because it is off campus.

The high school field has its own locker room and concessions stand, unlike Plant Drive Park, according to Presensky.

Presensky said she recently “shed tears with” Buckley’s mom, Barbara, when she told her about the changes coming to the memorial field. Barbara was understanding about the situation and does not want an active role in working on a new dedication, Presensky said.

She added that other movable memorial figures will go to the high school field, including two trees dedicated to Buckley.

Maya Washburn covers northern Palm Beach County for The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida-Network. Reach her at [email protected]. Support local journalism: Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Gardens to move Amanda Buckley softball memorial to high school campus