With inexpensive entertainment becoming more and more vital in the sluggish economy, Boynton Beach is improving and renovating many of its parks.

The renovations will include Jaycee Park, Pence Park and Oceanfront Park.

Jaycee Park, located in the 2700 block of South Federal Highway, opened last year. This year, the city is working toward completing the second phase of the project.

The next phase will include the addition of an observation deck that will allow park visitors access to the Intracoastal Waterway.

Jody Rivers, the city's parks superintendent said the deck, located at the far east end of the park, will be 24 feet long and will be a place from which to observe wildlife.

Construction started Aug. 2 with completion of the project expected Oct. 31 at a cost of $231,000. Rivers said 50 percent of the cost was funded by a grant for land and water conservation.

Next, Pence Park, located on the corner of Southeast Fifth Avenue and Southeast Fourth Street, is the oldest park in the Boynton Beach parks system, Rivers said.

The Recreation and Parks Department has found that the grass areas of the park was meant for softball, but is most often used for local soccer games.

The department is in the process of converting the field at Pence Park to a multi-purpose field featuring Bermuda grass. Wally Majors, executive director of the Recreations and Parks Department, said the conversion would make the area more useful.

Finally Oceanfront Park, 6415 N Ocean Blvd., is getting a new boardwalk with stronger wood.

For information about renovations to city parks, call Jody Rivers at 561-742-6226.

Read more about this story in the Aug. 26 issue of the Boynton Forum.
Mike Rothman can be reached at mkrothman@tribune.com.