DOWNTOWN FORT MYERS, Fla. — After the USL recently pulled out of negotiations to revitalize Fort Myers' City of Palms Park, Pitch Prime is hoping for another opportunity to develop the stadium that has sat without a dedicated professional team for more than 10 years.
Fort Myers City Manager Marty Lawing says the city is back to considering proposals after USL cited "lack of scale needed to make their proposal work."
"At the end of the day, it needed to be a win-win," Lawing said.
Fox 4 Senior Reporter Kaitlin Knapp explains Pitch Prime's proposal and the history of the stadium:
Pitch Prime, which was initially selected by the council last year before negotiations were halted after three weeks, is eager to be reconsidered.
"We're waiting too hopefully get that call and we can sit down with them again and hopefully work out an arrangement," said Bill Gramer, Pitch Prime's spokesperson.
The company's original proposal was abandoned largely due to financial concerns from some council members. Despite this setback, Pitch Prime maintains that their vision aligns with the city's needs.
At a March 2024 meeting, many city council managers said they wanted Pitch Prime to commit about $50-$70 million to the redevelopment. Some also wanted them to buy the surrounding land and not put Fort Myers in debt. Gramer told Fox 4 they would have.
With that proposal, it would've be more than $15 million.
"We're still interested. We still think Fort Myers is a great place to have this team, MLS NextPro team and to have it as a community team," Gramer said.
Pitch Prime has purchased majority ownership in the UPSL, which Gramer says puts them in a stronger position for the city to consider.
"I think the excitement that we can bring to that area and the activation of Mid-town, which in turn, would activate downtown more than it is today, is something that needs to get done," Gramer said.
According to Gramer, if the city had moved forward with Pitch Prime last year, soccer would have been played at the stadium this summer. The new proposal includes some changes but would still feature the mixed-use development that Lawing indicates the city is seeking.
"The city needs green space and sports-activated space, that's what they need," Gramer said. "We just want to get moving. We just need to get forward."
Gramer emphasized that both parties need to contribute to make the project successful.
"This is something that for the good of the community and for the good of the space, there has to be some skin in the game for both sides," Gramer said. "This decision will be their legacy."
Lawing mentioned that an indoor multi-sportsplex has also been suggested as a potential use for the facility, but no meetings have been scheduled specifically to discuss the stadium's future.
Knapp has been covering this story for more than a year and will continue to follow developments regarding the future of City of Palms Park.
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