Milani Park

History

The story of Milani Park began about 50 years ago, when Cam D. Milani purchased just over five acres of property in Highland Beach, the land now known as Milani Park, with the intent to develop 130 multi-family units. This proposal was met by strong opposition from the Town Commission at the time and led to years of legal disputes. The litigation resulted in a settlement that would allow Mr. Milani to build 65 units, but that never came to fruition. With the land going unused for years and a deal with another developer falling through, Lucia Milani eventually sold the property to Palm Beach County for $3.9 million on the condition that it become a park named after her husband, who had passed away the year prior.

There was once again strong opposition from the Town, citing concerns about the increased traffic and crime that would come as byproducts of developing a public park. Development of Milani Park was continuously delayed throughout the 1990’s due to funding issues and ongoing lawsuits. Progress was made in 1999, when the County Commission voted to reaffirm its commitment to developing the park, and again in 2000 with the Town granting the necessary zoning to build it. Another decade of delays followed, eventually culminating in a 2010 settlement agreement stating that Milani Park would not be built until at least 2020, with options to further delay construction to 2025 or 2030.

The Town Commission encourages residents to reach out to their District’s County Commissioner, Marci Woodward, to express their opinions and concerns about the development of Milani Park. Commissioner Woodward can be contacted by phone at (561) 355-2204 or via email at mwoodward@pbcgov.org.