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

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.