ORLANDO, Fla. — A blighted intersection in Pine Hills that people in the community say was once plagued by crime has been completely revamped.
- New rest area now available to the public along Pine Hill’s trail
- OCSO: Crime down 18 percent in Pine Hills from 2017 to 2018
- Leaders already scouting other areas in need of makeover
The area is cleaned up, and a new rest stop along the Pine Hills Trail has been added, which is now available for the public to use.
Longtime community member Jacqueline James says the change at this intersection was greatly needed.
“This area over here was traumatically torn. It needed to be rebuilt,” James said.
Orange County Sheriff John Mina says this new amenity will help beautify the area and change negative perceptions of Pine Hills.
“Now that crime is going down, we also want to make sure that it looks nice, and people have a nice place to sit or rest as they are riding on the trail or walking,” Mina said.
In recent weeks, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office announced crime was down 18 percent in the last year within the Pine Hills community. County leaders say this news is encouraging to the public and will help other similar projects, like the rest stop, be utilized to their full potential.
“I think it will help a lot people will feel more inclined to actually come out and use the space. The more people we have using the space, the less likely there is for trouble to occur,” said Michelle Owens, Orange County Government Executive Director.
Jacqueline James is vowing to make the most of the new resource and is challenging others to do the same.
County leaders say they are already scouting other areas in the Pine Hills Community that are in need of a makeover.