October 15, 2026
The parts of Holiday Park you could use on a whim are mostly behind construction fencing until 2027. That includes the playground, the western half of the dog park and stretches of the walking path. The parts that run on a schedule, such as the clay courts, the auditorium stage, the 55+ classes and the youth leagues, are in better shape than they have been in years. For a Victoria Park household this fall, that means the park works best when you show up for something specific.
The City of Fort Lauderdale hired Lunacon Construction Group to build a new playground, a rebuilt dog park, shade over the baseball dugouts, wayfinding signs, landscaping and walking trail upgrades. The work is paid for by the voter-approved parks bond. The Victoria Park Civic Association announced the Phase II groundbreaking for May 29, 2026.
| Area | Status this fall | Expected back |
|---|---|---|
| Playground | Closed for the full construction period | With the rest of the work |
| Dog park, western portion | Closed for the full construction period | Replaced by a new dog park to the east |
| Walking paths | Partly closed, with posted detours | With the rest of the work |
| Whole project | Work hours 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with extra noise | "By summer 2027" in the page text; "fall 2027" on the page banner |
The city's parks bond page lists two different finish dates, and it notes that the schedule could change with weather or unexpected conditions. The fairest way to put it is summer to fall 2027. Construction started in May 2026, so families who used the playground every week are looking at more than a year without it.
The dog park is changing more than most people realize. It isn't being rebuilt on its current site. It's moving. The VPCA's Dog Park Update explains why:
"The new dog park will be located just east of where the existing dog park is located to ensure the new dog park is sodded and irrigated (which was not feasible in the original location without negatively impacting the existing pine trees in the area)."
When the new dog park opens, the old one will close. Its fencing and structures will be removed, and that ground will become open space. When the work wraps up, the park will have a dog run with grass and irrigation, and the area where people walk their dogs now will be open lawn under the pines.
The tennis center was renovated first. It reopened about seven months before the playground work started, and it is the strongest argument for how the rest of the park could turn out.
The Jimmy Evert Tennis Center at 701 NE 12th Ave. reopened in October 2025 after a parks bond renovation of about $8 million. According to the City of Fort Lauderdale, the work added 20 new clay courts, a new stadium court with seating for about 700 people, LED lighting, shade structures, renovated restrooms, landscaping and better pathways. On Aug. 31, at a ceremony held alongside the US Open in New York, the U.S. Tennis Association gave the center its 2026 Outstanding Facility Award. Mayor Dean J. Trantalis accepted it for the city.
According to the USTA, the award looks at court quality, amenities, safety and accessibility, youth and adult programs, and opportunities for new players. District 2 Commissioner Steven Glassman summed up the center's two jobs in the city's announcement: "We have created a first-class facility where our residents can play alongside some of the best young athletes in the world."
The city lists weekday hours of 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. and weekend hours of 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. The late weekday closing matters right now. Construction stops at 5 p.m., so evening players at the tennis center miss the noise that daytime visitors near the work zone can expect.
The rest of Holiday Park's fall runs on a calendar. Put in order, the public dates between now and mid-December look like this:
The tournament and the renovation are linked. The city says the center reopened in October 2025 "ahead of the Orange Bowl International Tennis Championships." This December is the first Orange Bowl since the facility won national recognition.
The weekly schedule is steadier. The city's Club 55+ page lists recurring Holiday Park activities: ballroom dance on Mondays, group exercise on Tuesdays, an art class on Thursdays, mahjongg on Fridays and pickleball open play on weekdays. That page isn't dated, so call the city before planning around a particular class. The city's athletics page still lists Fort Lauderdale Little League baseball, Fort Lauderdale Little League girls softball and Fort Lauderdale Falcons/Optimist football at Holiday Park. The park's city listing also includes lighted athletic fields, a gymnasium, a recreation center, and courts for basketball, pickleball and racquetball. Every one of those activities comes with a time slot, a roster or a ticket.
The biggest project at Holiday Park is happening on Federal Highway. It will add exactly the kind of drop-in use the park is missing this year.
The KC Cross Family YMCA is going up at the northeast corner of Federal Highway and NE 8th Street, next to The Parker. It broke ground in December 2025, and the YMCA of South Florida lists a 2027 opening. The YMCA describes a 60,000-square-foot building, built with Broward Health and the City of Fort Lauderdale, that includes a 12,000-square-foot Broward Health freestanding emergency room. The plans call for a six-lane, 25-meter lap pool and a separate teaching pool. On its project page, the YMCA calls Holiday Park Fort Lauderdale's "backyard" and points to its 75-year history.
Gulf Building–ANF Joint Venture is the general contractor. In May 2026, the YMCA held a Little Builders Fun Fest on the active site, where kids toured the construction zone and signed a structural beam. We found no YMCA-related changes to parking or road access posted as of this writing.
Put the timelines side by side and 2027 looks like the year both halves of the park come back together. The playground, the new dog park and the trail upgrades are due in summer to fall 2027. The YMCA and its pools are due in 2027 too. The tennis center has already been finished for a year.
Until the fencing comes down, here are the city's own listings for the closest substitutes:
The eastern part of the Holiday Park dog park is still open. The city recommends following the posted signs and going carefully through the work zone. For construction updates, the VPCA points people to parks.fortlauderdale.gov/bond.
Holiday Park's 2027 changes, from the new YMCA on Federal Highway to the rebuilt dog park and the open lawn under the pines, will be part of what living in Victoria Park looks like for years. If you're thinking about how changes like these affect your home or your plans, Kenny Silverman can talk through what's happening around the park and what it means for you. Let's Connect.
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