Pembroke Pines moves forward with recreation, roadway upgrades after bond failure
Dozens of park, recreation and roadway projects are moving forward — without raising taxes — through strategic plan funding after voters rejected a $230 million bond proposal last year, according to Pembroke Pines officials.
During the May 6 City Commission meeting, Assistant City Manager and Director of Recreation and Cultural Arts Christina Goulding gave an update on the “We Love Pembroke Pines: A Blueprint for a Brighter Future” plan, outlining where recreation and infrastructure projects stand.
The strategic plan, adopted by the commissioners on Dec. 4, 2024, was created to guide the city’s long-term priorities and investments.
A referendum seeking voter approval for roughly $230 million in general obligation bonds to fund the project failed in March 2025, leading commissioners to ask city staff to return with a scaled-back version focused on recreation and infrastructure improvements.
In October and November 2025, commissioners unanimously approved year-one funding for the projects.
“It’s funded, it won’t raise taxes. It will make the city markedly better,” Mayor Angelo Castillo said.
Recreation projects
According to Goulding, the city has approved 21 projects for year-one funding, including 10 playground replacements, three artificial turf conversion design projects, three full park renovation design projects, a new walking path and a citywide park monument signage design project.
The plan allocates about $47 million for recreation facility improvements over three years.
Goulding said 10 projects are expected to come back to the commission on May 20 for work order authorizations under the architectural and engineering consultant contracts. Design timelines are estimated to take five to 11 months.
The city is also expected to bring an invitation to bid for the Chapel Trail Nature Preserve boardwalk renovation in June.
Eight playgrounds are already approved and are in the permitting process. Goulding said two — 108th Ave. Kiddie Park and 111th Ave. Kiddie Park — have confirmed dates: June 8 and May 19, respectively.
“The rest of them, we are waiting for them to roll in, but they will all be done this summer,” Goulding said.
Two playgrounds, Silver Lakes North and Flamingo South, are pending commission approval.
Roadway and infrastructure improvements
The city has also approved dozens of roadway and infrastructure projects in the first phase of the plan, including 13 speed feedback sign projects, 10 traffic calming and traffic improvement projects, three drainage projects, two road expansion projects and one traffic calming study.
The estimated cost for road and infrastructure projects is about $47 million.
Ten school-based proposed improvements have been pushed to year three of the plan as the city waits to see the long-term impacts of Broward County Public Schools’ “Redefining Our Schools” initiative.
Earlier this year, the BCPS board voted to close several schools across the district, including two in Pembroke Pines: Panther Run Elementary and Palm Cove Elementary. The district gave final approval to the initiative on Jan. 21.
Panther Run students will transition to Chapel Trail Elementary and Silver Palms Elementary, while Palm Cove will be consolidated into Pines Lakes Elementary and Lakeside Elementary.
The city had planned about $200,000 in traffic calming and intersection improvements near Panther Run Elementary and another $50,000 for intersection improvements near Palm Cove Elementary.
At a February commission meeting, district officials told commissioners the campuses would not remain vacant.
“The one thing we will not do is have two buildings sitting empty in neighborhoods,” Dr. Valerie Wanza, the school board’s chief strategy and innovation officer, said at the Feb. 4 meeting.
It remains unclear what the two campuses will become.
Goulding also updated commissioners on a traffic calming study for Districts 1 and 2 that commissioners added to the strategic plan in November after residents raised concerns about growing congestion in those neighborhoods.
She said the study is expected to return to commissioners in June as a work order authorization and, if approved, could be completed by January. Five roadway projects are deferred pending the results of the study.
Meanwhile, city engineers are designing 13 speed feedback sign projects in-house. Goulding said staff will bring a formal solicitation to commissioners in August.
Residents can track updates and timelines for projects through the city’s strategic plan website at www.ppines.com/blueprint.
