NE 24th Avenue, which is just two lanes right now, is about to get a major upgrade. The city’s planning to expand it to four lanes from Pine Island Road all the way to Kismet Parkway. The goal is to ease traffic and make the road safer for everyone as the city continues to grow.
The city says the additional infrastructure require managing stormwater runoff. The city is set to buy a piece of land at 1516 NE 24th Ave. near Diplomat Pkwy. to build a retention pond.
The proposed land purchase will cost around $80,000.
Don Groce, who lives along NE 24th Avenue, thinks the money might be better spent elsewhere.
“What this road really needs is sidewalks,” Groce said. “People can’t even walk their dogs without feeling unsafe.”
On the flip side, Arthur Rivera, another local resident, sees some benefit in the retention pond, but he has concerns.
“When it rains a lot, or during a bad hurricane, the water could flood up to the top of my seawall,” Rivera said.
The city has already bought land for other retention ponds as part of this project. Keep an eye on NBC2 for updates on this project and what’s next for NE 24th Avenue.