The Village of Estero’s project, located at the northeast corner of U.S. 41 and Corkscrew Road, represents a long-term commitment to preserving natural resources while creating new opportunities for residents to enjoy the outdoors. The property stretches north toward County Road and Judeth Lane and east to the Seminole Gulf Railway corridor, encompassing a diverse landscape of wetlands, floodplain habitat and riverfront scenery.
Estero RiverPark is an initiative designed to protect environmentally sensitive lands south of the river and provide natural recreation for residents and visitors The project originated in response to community requests to preserve the area’s natural character rather than allow development.
In January 2019, the Village purchased the property for $24.5 million, an investment that at the time equaled roughly three times the municipality’s annual revenue. Before the acquisition, plans had been approved for a large-scale development featuring 530 residential units and approximately 300,000 square feet of commercial space. The Village Council chose a different path, amending the Comprehensive Plan and rezoning the property south of the river as open space and natural preserve…