BATON ROUGE – Local leaders broke ground on the major expansion to Howell Community Park on Winbourne Avenue Thursday.

The new expansion will repurpose the park’s existing 18-hole golf course into 75-acre area for playgrounds, athletic fields, basketball courts and a fishing and paddling pond.

The Howell Community Park took on more than eight feet of water during August’s historic flooding. According to BREC, Howell Park was the most severely damaged park in the BREC system. Crews are still working to repair building that sustained serious structural and electrical damage.

The idea for repurposing the park came after the National Golf Foundation evaluated BREC’s golf operations.

“We believe this park will attract more projects like those and create a beautiful ‘Central Park’ for this area of north Baton Rouge,” BREC Superintendent Carolyn McKnight said.

Phase one renovations will include the fishing and paddling pond, earthen amphitheater, lighted basketball courts, driveways and parking lots, bridges, pavilion and picnic areas with grills. The park will also include a First Tee Golf facility, walking and jogging track and playground.

Later, BREC plans to add community gardens, challenge course, lake boathouse and recreational area.

Howell Park spans about ten blocks on Winbourne Avenue between North Foster Drive and E Brookstown Drive, near Howell Park Elementary School.