[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6084572,"mediaKeyId","2912026-729e6f9f0ae239b970e1c41ca640fb83","parentId",2912026,"title","Bonita Springs workshop: Council leans toward replacing old library, sets facility priorities and timelines","audioSeconds",639,"startMs",1827000,"endMs",2466000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2912026-729e6f9f0ae239b970e1c41ca640fb83&start=1827&end=2466","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2912026-729e6f9f0ae239b970e1c41ca640fb83/thumbnail_1827000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6084572/Bonita-Springs-City/Lee-County/Florida/Bonita-Springs-workshop-Council-leans-toward-replacing-old-library-sets-facility-priorities-and-timelines","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6084572-6478b3ecb7e994df52b7c60c3a0ed303/orig.mp4?Expires=1771212179&Signature=EvURS7QQYxFEXRxHYJgLqwA6ssyPNHzgHNPdz1hRfiXREIijLyU8-15WjWwdvpixQzuKietwiRvfJa2gQNoGh7YwuUEiTyVtacY5RgLuPi9JlkeRhANI0h9YONmeOCZNuphdZumcGEVU5sXGknoweISpdzRUj1fFAP25d3x1kpVr56jjuyblyehrHgEr0xMbp~po2~~6bFBxLlXJ58Proa4fu8757DPsukRmTSXwxLdwSetdOo7q4bKNHgpNw64PhaiF5~4Q8E1Jx09te687FmCbAJOK0dK2895MwCCl7krOrJ7DXz~Oo7Bz2CcjjVU7MO5s5rurBReXQdaKZ5ONeQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Bonita Springs, FL","date","2025-04-09T12:33:00.173Z","article","City staff presented a multi-year facilities assessment at a Bonita Springs City Council workshop and asked council members for direction on several large capital decisions, including whether to repair or replace the former library building and how to prioritize the recreation center renovation.

The presentation reviewed prior actions and urgency. Staff said the city executed a multi-year contract with engineering firm Weston & Sampson for a facility assessment that included six city-owned sites and 19 buildings; council later approved approximately $2.9 million in Priority 1 repairs to address immediate life‑safety and code-compliance issues. Staff listed completed work such as a new City Hall generator (with the refurbished generator moved to the recreation center), City Hall parking-lot improvements, pool-house structural and electrical work, roof replacements, mold remediation and elevator modifications.

Why it matters: Council must weigh near-term repair costs against replacement costs for aging, storm‑damaged buildings, and set priorities that affect resilience, emergency response capability and capital budgets.

Former library: repair vs. replace. Taylor presented planning numbers from the 2023 assessment: approximately $5,500,000 to repair the former library versus about $6,400,000 to replace it. The building currently houses code-enforcement staff, has no fire-suppression system, sits below flood regulations and will need a roof replacement and improved stormwater drainage. Taylor said temporary repairs already under way are \"temporary in nature\" and will not substitute for a long-term decision.

Several council members argued for replacement. Council member Brenda said rebuilding would improve resilience and allow modernized, elevated construction for staff and emergency response functions. Council member Jesse said the site is strategically valuable near the middle school, rec center and pool and supported building new to better integrate a sheriff's substation, code enforcement and storm-distribution functions.

Sheriff's substation and funding: staff said a meeting with the Lee County Sheriff's Office is scheduled for April 14 to identify the sheriff's space needs and to begin discussions about cost-sharing. Council members asked whether the sheriff's share of costs or lease arrangements would be part of those discussions; staff said the sheriff's office would need to confirm whether and how much it would contribute.

Recreation center: Taylor described work needed at the new recreation center, including replacing HVAC systems, chiller, pumps, ductwork and controls and adding energy recovery. She cited an estimated repair/upgrade cost of roughly $2,100,000 (plus an upgrade allowance) and a replacement estimate of about $7,900,000. Staff characterized the recreation center as the first major renovation target and said further engineering and architecture will be required.

Wonder Gardens and other sites: staff said the pool barn at Wonder Gardens is slated for demolition this spring and that staff are coordinating with Wonder Gardens leadership about remaining repairs and the division of responsibilities under the site agreement. The Lyle's Hotel building is under a DPZ (design and planning) study and requires additional repairs. Council discussion also raised the old Wonder Gardens restaurant and an awkward storage building near Lyle's Plaza as candidates for removal or re-use.

IT and other projects: staff previewed proposed information-technology projects for the next fiscal year, including issuing an RFP for a redesigned city website, migrating on-premise servers to cloud-hosting and continuing annual cybersecurity training.

Next steps: Council members broadly signaled support for replacing the former library building rather than investing in extensive, repeated repairs. Staff was asked to return with scope, cost‑share options with Lee County Sheriff’s Office and a project timeline and to continue pursuing outside funding (FEMA, state funding, grants) where appropriate. No final decisions or votes were taken at the workshop.

Ending: The presentation will inform capital-improvement planning and budgets in the coming fiscal cycle; staff will report back with more detailed cost splits and timelines.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City of Bonita Springs, CIP workshop, April 2, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","City staff presented a multi-year facilities assessment at a council workshop and asked the council for direction on whether to repair or replace several aging, storm-affected city buildings, including the former library and the recreation center.","taxTitle","Bonita Springs City, Lee County, Florida","taxId",3827,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6084577,"Bonita Springs workshop weighs continuing enhanced downtown signature events amid budget questions",739,21000,760000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2912026-729e6f9f0ae239b970e1c41ca640fb83&start=21&end=760","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2912026-729e6f9f0ae239b970e1c41ca640fb83/thumbnail_21000.jpg","/articles/6084577/Bonita-Springs-City/Lee-County/Florida/Bonita-Springs-workshop-weighs-continuing-enhanced-downtown-signature-events-amid-budget-questions","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6084577-f0d7a2ccd63620f62529d15396279b42/orig.mp4?Expires=1771212179&Signature=UH2k1QILvSRIJ3n6UV-p~xg9otNyRIJQdq5qe-GsIE64VDo1GCfyfDIXlFELY4aCs2ZkpYdHD2ZKxRkZmZKMTvihYJ~73ePm5RTw1Y4Jtnj1v4Yk1g9UttHzJgZco10eNPdGG3d4AUMth-onQ2I88guUfyn-f7EpeIpVwGmOt0ne4RNcYemXHPvaQudE3W8ztjhBHrX2YDFljTJe15AobvP9aD19TYcHx6RtkLh1OYrqUoF63ihZHfGtZz2Emu7pA8LmGf2IBp4rHkoNz6jYqzV7EjtYMLMiwAAiqUydVWIiuKKcPlYH0OSsYc6xdVj72E8gyCdeH0a8RbHWcIY~Ag__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Bonita Springs City officials discussed whether to continue enhanced downtown \"signature\" events during a council workshop that combined an event update with budget-planning questions.

The discussion centered on whether the city should keep larger, corridor-wide events introduced during the city's 25th-anniversary year or scale back to prior, smaller formats. Director Laura Taylor outlined recent event growth, logistics changes tied to construction in the Bamboo Lot and Banyan Tree Lot, and steps staff have taken to help organizers plan around reduced parking.

Taylor said the city now stages roughly 12 to 15 events per year and has seen increased permit requests from venues both on and off city property, including Riverside Park and private venues. \"For each year, the city really does about 12 to 15 events per year,\" Taylor said. She described new downtown programming such as an immersive Halloween stroll with projections on seven to eight buildings, a weeklong Happy Haunts series, the Celebrate Bonita corridor stroll (April 9–12), and an expanded Fourth of July show that added a drone component to the traditional fireworks and laser show.

Why it matters: Council members said the downtown events support local businesses and help raise the city's profile for residents and visitors, but several members also asked for clearer budget accounting so the city can weigh events against other capital priorities.

Council reaction varied. Mayor Arlene praised event organizers: \"What a phenomenal job the special events committee has done. Don't change it.\" Council member Jesse urged maintaining pace: \"This is not the time to hit the brakes on the events,\" adding that the program attracts visitors from across Southwest Florida. Other council members suggested prioritizing the roughly seven or eight most impactful events rather than treating all events the same.

Budget and accounting: A council member said the special-events line jumped dramatically compared with prior years; Taylor said that apparent jump reflected the temporary combining of multiple cost centers (communications and other functions) into a single budget roll-up and supplied more detailed figures. She said the special-events cost center totaled $275,315 in the most recent year and noted that earlier apparent spikes were the product of combined accounting rather than pure event spending.

Operational issues and outreach: Taylor said staff sent letters and posted a downtown public-parking map to help event organizers plan around the Bamboo Lot construction and coordinated with businesses about shuttle options and staging. The city also created an online event toolkit for organizers with updates about Collier construction on the Bamboo Lot, Banyan Tree Lot changes and Riverside Park renovations.

Committee and sponsorships: Council members raised two operational questions: the effectiveness of the Special Events Committee (several members said it often fails to reach quorum) and whether the city should pursue more private sponsorships. One council member urged eliminating or shrinking the advisory committee role if it cannot sustain quorum; another recommended keeping the committee as a liaison role. Several council members supported pursuing corporate sponsorships for large events, with one proposing a sponsorship kit and council members volunteering to make requests rather than asking staff to act as fundraisers.

Event logistics and policy choices: Taylor offered council two explicit choices for some multi-part events: continue the full series that combines pre-event decorations, immersive experiences and trick-or-treat programming, or scale back and fold certain elements into downtown-alliance programming. She said some businesses have asked that the city continue decorative elements even if the city reduces direct event staffing or active trick-or-treat nights.

Next steps: Council members asked staff to return budget-level recommendations and event-by-event priorities as part of the next budget planning cycle. Council members also suggested bringing the Special Events Committee's future role and a sponsorship strategy back for formal consideration at a regular council meeting.

Ending: Staff said the workshop was intended to inform budget preparation; no final policy changes or votes were taken at the session.","City staff reviewed growth in downtown special events and asked council whether to continue the recent \"signature event\" enhancements. Council members praised the programming but raised budget and committee quorum concerns and discussed sponsorships and temporary parking changes during Bamboo Lot construction.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Bonita Springs workshop: Council leans toward replacing old library, sets facility priorities and timelines

Bonita Springs workshop weighs continuing enhanced downtown signature events amid budget questions