Local Parks Embark on Improvements
Better amenities for enjoying the great outdoors
Editor's note: Impacts from hurricane Ian have affected many of the improvements described in this article. These projects are on hold or will have adjusted timelines. Those are not yet determined, according to Lee County Parks & Recreation.
With the beautiful year-round subtropical climate of Southwest Florida, enjoying the great outdoors is a given—and public parks offer everyone an opportunity to do that. Fortunately, the region has no shortage of parks with a diversity of resources—from hiking trails to children’s playgrounds to off-leash dog areas. What’s great is that they are getting better all the time, as local jurisdictions make improvements such as the addition of more shady areas and restrooms, skate parks, pickleball courts, parking, and pavilions.
Lee County has more than $56 million in park improvements planned over the next few years. “Lee County Parks & Recreation is always seeking out new ways to enhance the experience of its patrons,” says Jason Lamey, planning operations manager at Lee County Parks & Recreation. He provides a few highlights of what’s happening locally.
Starting with Schandler Hall Park in Fort Myers, a new skate park is scheduled for completion in March 2023. “The one-acre skate park will be a concrete slab with surface-mounted ramps, rails, quarter pipes, and fun boxes,” explains Lamey.
Rutenberg Park in Fort Myers will get eight pickleball courts, restrooms, and storage space, scheduled for completion in spring 2023.
At North Fort Myers Park and Recreation Center, shuffleboard players will benefit from a new shade structure, allowing play during warmer parts of the day, notes Lamey. The shade structure will cover all 24 courts and will have lighting and fans. A new storage area and tournament director’s booth will be included. Completion is scheduled for September 2023.
Lee County Parks & Recreation is refreshing its restrooms at Bonita Beach Park, with completion expected in July 2023, according to Lamey. Decking with shade structures is also planned for the park.
The Sanibel Causeway Islands were in the midst of a longterm renovation, consisting of improvements to parking, restrooms, and pavilions, when hurricane Ian hit and wiped out portions of the bridge and the islands. The causeway is now undergoing reconstruction, estimated to be done in a year.