Christine Edwards
Communications Director
Space Coast Association of REALTORS®
2950 Pineda Plaza Way
Palm Shores, FL 32940
321-242-2211

Space Coast Association of REALTORS® Helps Enhance Melbourne's New Dog Park

Palm Shores, Florida April 4, 2019 – The Space Coast Association of REALTORS® received a $5,000 Placemaking grant from the National Association of Realtors® to help build Pieloch Dog Park in Melbourne. The funds were used to purchase and donate Adirondack chairs and trees to help with beautification efforts in what will become south Melbourne's first dog park.

A true community effort, Pieloch Dog Park was first envisioned by Melbourne Councilman Paul Alfrey who enlisted community partners to raise funds for its creation. Thanks to the City of Melbourne, the American Muscle Car Museum, Hydro Plumbing and D Bell General Contracting, the dog park is scheduled to open to people and their pets in mid April. The park is being constructed at Southwest Park 400 W. Florida Ave. in Melbourne and will feature custom fire hydrant water features and an agility course.

The Space Coast Association of REALTORS® was awarded the Placemaking grant to help transform an unused area into a vibrant public space for the community to gather. The Placemaking grant is intended to help REALTOR® associations partner with others to plan, organize, implement and maintain needed projects in their communities. A brand new park that welcomes community members and their four-legged friends to enjoy the great outdoors is just the sort of thing the grant is intended to help create.

The association used the grant funds to purchase and donate 10 multicolored Adirondack chairs and several trees. Volunteers from association helped install fencing, paint, plant trees, lay sod and rock and build the agility course on April 6 and 7.

“REALTORS® live, work and volunteer in their communities and take immense pride in working to improve them,” said Dennis Basile, Space Coast Association of REALTORS® 2019 president. “Placemaking can help foster healthier, more social and economically viable communities. It creates places where people feel a strong stake in their neighborhoods. This grant will allow us to address areas in our community that are in need of enhancement or revitalization and create a place where friends and neighbors can come together.”

Placemaking grants are awarded to local and state Realtor® associations to help them and their members create new public spaces and destinations in a community, like turning a parking spot into a people spot (parklet) or a vacant lot into a pocket park or garden. Realtor® associations and their members are actively engaged in the community and know the neighborhoods and the properties that would benefit most from these placemaking projects.

“As the south Melbourne area becomes even more attractive and welcoming, nearby properties may also increase in value,” Basile said.

The Pieloch Dog Park ribbon cutting ceremony was held on April 13 at 10 a.m. followed by a thank you reception for volunteers and sponsors on April 14 at the American Muscle Car Museum in Melbourne.

To find out more about the National Association of Realtors® Placemaking program visit, realtoractioncenter.org/Placemaking.

About the Space Coast Association of REALTORS®

Since 1959, the Space Coast Association of REALTORS® has been a professional trade association that provides services to our local REALTOR® community. Our membership base is comprised of more than 4,500 REALTORS® and Business Partner members that service Brevard County and adhere to a strict Code of Ethics when working with one another and the general public. The Space Coast Association of REALTORS® takes an active part in community programs and pursues projects our members support to further real estate interests. The protection of private property rights is always our top priority.

For more information, contact Christine Edwards at 321-242-2211 or via email at christine.edwards@space321.com.