A $60 million purchasing agreement is on the table that could transform an 11.4-mile stretch of unused railroad into a linear park connecting Estero to Collier County.
WATCH: Fox 4’s Eric Lovelace spoke to the Nonprofit who tells us what’s next:
$60 million deal on the table to turn abandoned railroad into Bonita Estero Land Trail linear park
The Trust for Public Land, a nonprofit, has reached an initial agreement with Seminole Gulf Railway for the proposed Bonita Estero Land Trail. The organization is acting as the buyer on behalf of the Village of Estero, the City of Bonita Springs, and Collier County, but the deal cannot move forward unless all three local governments agree to pay their individual stretch of the railroad.
Under this deal, The Village of Estero would pay $19.8 million, the City of Bonita Springs would pay $28.6 million, and Collier County would pay $11.6 million.
Doug Hattaway, who works for the Trust for Public Land, said the nonprofit is positioned to help bridge the gap for this public-private partnership…