If you’re like me and have taken your kids to the park, walked or biked a trail or enjoyed a picnic by the water, you know how important parks and recreation spaces are to our everyday lives. But did you know that the City of Fort Myers is significantly behind in terms of park space for its residents? Currently, we only have about 7.8 acres of parks per 1,000 residents (excluding gated communities), 37% below the national median of 12.4 acres.
The city faces a critical challenge: Our parks and recreation spaces are insufficient to meet current needs, a gap city planners anticipate will become more pronounced as our population continues to grow, projected to increase by nearly 14,000 residents by 2033.
For the general election on Nov. 5, Fort Myers residents will have the chance to vote on an up to $75 million General Obligation (G.O.) Bond to fund the city’s Parks & Recreation Master Plan. The plan is designed to revitalize existing parks, recreation facilities, programs and services, as well as expand the system through the purchase of additional greenspace, creating new parks, facilities, programs and services.