The amusement center, locally known for its plethora of activities for area residents, surrendered to a demolition crew Wednesday.

ENGLEWOOD -- It was the end of an era.

Pelican Pete's Playground, known locally for years as an amusement mecca to area residents before it closed in 2005, succumbed to a wrecking crew Wednesday.

Just mention Pelican Pete's to anyone -- especially kids at Lemon Bay High School -- and you'll get a flood of memories.

Elizabeth David, 18, had fond reminiscences of the place and found its demise "kind of upsetting."   

"We used to go there when I was younger," David said. "My family used to go there and my friends and I would go, just to have something to do. It was one of the few things you could do here."

She also recalled Pelican Pete's would award tickets to kids who did well in school. Those tickets could be redeemed for extended play in the park's arcade.

"If you got straight A's you got a lot of tickets," David said. "You'd bring your report card and get to play in the arcade. My sister was really upset when they closed. She had saved up a lot of her tickets and never got to use them."

Suhail Jabir, 15, and Ariel Hernandez, 14, had contrasting feelings about the demise of Pelican Pete's.

"I remember the bumper cars and batting cages," Jabir said. "And the minigolf course. It gave us something to do. I think it's not a good idea at all that it's gone. We basically have nothing now. About all that's left to us is the community pool. I'm going to miss Pelican Pete's."

Hernandez felt otherwise.

"I went there once, when I first moved down here," she said. "I remember the really long train ride. It drove you around the whole entire place. It was really long and boring."

David lamented the lack of quality places in Englewood where kids can go for a good time.

"Other than the beach and Pelican Pete's, there wasn't much," she said. "And now Pelican Pete's is gone. It's sad."

Paperwork at the site revealed the owner of the property as an entity called MMS LLC. The contact for MMS, Bob Granicz, could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

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