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Staff outlines $25–30M initial park bond phase with neighborhood priorities, school partnerships
Summary
Parks staff proposed a phase‑1 package drawn from the master plan — City View Park, Coffee Park, Tarpon Park, Shady Oaks and school collaborations — and said the first tranche will likely be about $25–30M, with public meetings planned during design and opportunities to collaborate with the school board and Arborwood CDD for some parcels.
Staff presented conceptual projects for the first phase of the November GO park bond and said the initial tranche will likely be sized to approximately $25–30 million to touch multiple wards and priorities identified in the parks master plan.
The projects discussed for phase‑1 included City View Park (multi‑use path, playground, pavilion), a rebuilt Coffee Park (pool and dog park potential), Tarpon Park (passive trails near Tarpon Pier), Shady Oaks upgrades (fields and practice areas), and collaborations with Fort Myers Middle School and other schools on shared facilities. Staff noted the Arborwood CDD offered to quit‑claim a roughly 14–15 acre parcel with lake access that the city could incorporate into park planning. "All those total probably 25 to $30,000,000, and we feel that's probably a good size for our very 1st bond issue in phase 1," staff said during the presentation.
Council members suggested additional waterfront boardwalk or riverwalk ideas that could be tied to other riverfront projects and recommended continued coordination with the school board and environmental partners; staff emphasized public outreach and design work before final scope decisions.
