Bonita Springs lays out timelines, ROW needs and funding gaps for major road and sidewalk projects

Bonita Springs City staff on the city’s transportation capital improvement plan (CIP) told council members that multiple sidewalk, drainage and roadway projects are at varying stages of design, permitting and right-of-way acquisition and that several have target construction windows between 2026 and 2028.

“ I would like to start with a map of where our current projects are,” Matt, a city staff member, said as he opened the presentation and listed active projects from Paradise Road and Goodwin Street to the US 41/Bonita Beach Road corridor.

Why it matters: The projects combine drainage work with pedestrian and bicycle improvements in areas of high pedestrian use and known safety concerns. Several projects require additional property interests or final grant agreements before the city can advertise bids or begin construction, which will delay start dates if those items are not resolved.

Key project details

Goodwin Street and Rosemary Drive: Goodwin Street is under design and would add an 8-foot sidewalk on one side and a 6-foot sidewalk on the other, with curbing, landscaping and lighting. That corridor currently has no sidewalks or bike lanes and was described by staff as a location where at least one pedestrian fatality and bicyclist injuries have occurred. Staff said plans identify needed right-of-way and that the city is working with its legal team to minimize impacts; if private property cannot be acquired by agreement, condemnation proceedings would follow and could add about a year to the schedule before construction can begin.

Rosemary Drive is fully designed and falls within existing city right-of-way. Staff said the city has received a state funding award of $1,400,000 toward the project, and that the full project cost is roughly $7 million; construction cannot start until the formal state funding agreement is executed, which staff said is expected before or shortly after the winter holidays. If the agreement is finalized in that window, staff said construction is likely to begin in 2026. Work includes new sidewalks on both sides, speed tables and complete resurfacing of the roadway.

US 41 / Bonita Beach Road (Northwest Quadrant): Staff reported that design and major permits are complete except for one FDOT permit and that the city has been negotiating with a single shopping-center owner for small triangular parcel transfers tied to stormwater capacity credits. A settlement would avoid condemnation, but staff said condemnation is an active option if the parties do not finalize agreements. Staff provided an inflation-adjusted planning estimate of about $13 million for the project and said right-of-way delays have pushed potential public use of the corridor to a late timeline (staff cited an approximate 2028 availability if right-of-way is not cleared promptly).

East Terry Street: Staff estimated the East Terry project at about $20 million, with designs and permits complete. The project focuses on drainage upgrades and includes intersection and operational improvements: a traffic signal at Southern Pines, a roundabout at Wharton Avenue and an additional westbound turn lane approaching Imperial Parkway. The project leveraged stormwater funding and $2.8 million from FDOT for pedestrian facilities; staff said the bid package and monitoring contract documents have been submitted to FDOT and the Florida Department of Commerce for review (the construction bid package is roughly 1,134 pages). If agency reviews proceed quickly, staff said the city could advertise the project this fall/winter with a construction start in 2026 and a roughly two-year construction window; if reviews slip into the holiday season, advertising may be delayed until after the new year.

West Terry Street sidewalk and drainage: Sixty-percent plans show much of the sidewalk can be built in city right-of-way, but staff cautioned that several locations will require reconstruction of drainage swales that currently sit on private property. Those changes likely require permanent drainage easements or condemnation. Staff said the city will evaluate phasing, temporary construction easements and compensation, but emphasized the complexity of retrofitting sidewalks where long-established private drainage features exist.

Paradise Road: Staff said the design contract is executed, survey work is complete and the designer is developing multiple concept cross-sections that generally fit within the existing 60-foot right-of-way. Public workshops are planned for early 2026 to gather neighborhood feedback; staff noted a possible roundabout at Shangri La Road would need small corner parcels beyond the current ROW.

Pennsylvania Avenue corridor and CDBG funding: The Pennsylvania Avenue corridor was presented as a stormwater-first project with opportunities for traffic calming and sidewalks. Staff said the city requested about $24 million, received $21 million in CDBG funds connected to Hurricane Ian, and must pay for any impacts to Bonita Springs Utilities infrastructure should the design affect utility facilities. Design services and grant-administration reviews are ongoing with Lee County acting as the grant administrator.

Bridge over I-75 (Terry Street): Staff described planned safety upgrades including an 8-foot path on the south side of the bridge, new railing, and fencing to prevent debris or objects from reaching the interstate. Staff said those base safety elements are included in current designs and that follow-on placemaking or decorative treatments remain a separate, potential funding conversation with State Representative Botana.

Quotes and questions: Councilmember Nigel asked how many parcels are involved in the US 41 negotiations; staff said “three and one that is infinitesimally small” (four parcels technically) and reiterated that the city owns the majority of the needed right-of-way. When asked about timelines, staff said condemnation would add roughly a year before construction could begin and that larger corridor projects can take two to three years to construct once work begins.

Where items stand next: Several projects are contingent on (1) final state or grant agreements (Rosemary Drive, East Terry, Pennsylvania Avenue), (2) right-of-way transfers or condemnation decisions (Goodwin, US 41 corridor, West Terry), and (3) agency reviews for large bid packages (FDOT, Florida Department of Commerce). Staff indicated they will return to council with final offers, contracts or condemnation recommendations as appropriate and that public workshops will be scheduled for projects entering the public-input phase (Paradise Road and others).

Ending: The presentation emphasized that many of the projects are stormwater-driven and that combining drainage work with pedestrian and bicycle improvements is a recurring theme. Staff urged timely agreement on parcel transfers and grant paperwork to avoid year-long delays associated with condemnation and contracting reviews.