From the Orlando Sentinel –
One of Orlando’s oldest trees will be saved. Months after plans surfaced for a new apartment building that imperiled Constitution Green Park, the city now plans to buy the land — and preserve the massive oak.
On Thursday, Mayor Buddy Dyer signed a letter of intent to acquire the privately owned, one-block park along Summerlin Avenue near the heart of downtown, at a price of about $5.85 million in property and cash. “I don’t get many of these days, but this one rocks… I’m just delighted,” said Commissioner Patty Sheehan, who drew attention to the park’s uncertain future after she was approached by a developer in March.
The news mobilized residents, and an online petition calling for the park to be saved drew thousands of signatures. The furor centered on the park’s iconic tree, a live oak estimated to be between 125 and 175 years old, with recumbent branches so long they touch the ground. It is featured on the city’s “Significant Trees” map…MORE HERE.
