FORT MYERS, Fla. — The Fort Myers City Council is preparing to vote on the complete demolition of City of Palms Park, ending decades of debate over the fate of the vacant baseball stadium that hasn't been used for professional games for 20 years.
Watch Fort Myers Community Correspondent Miyoshi Price's report:
Barbara Washington, who has lived across the street from the park for eight years, remembers when the stadium brought life to her downtown neighborhood. She moved to Jackson Plaza eight years ago and recalls the excitement the ballpark once generated.
"At night, I used to love the way the lights would light up the whole street, and then I would hear the ball games being announced, and the runs and all of that," Washington said. "It just made the neighborhood so much fun and nice, and it made me feel like I didn't leave the city."
The silence that followed professional baseball's departure has been a source of disappointment for people like Raymond Davis, who has lived in the community since 1961. Davis saw the original transformation when the city bought homes and apartments to build the park.
"There were houses, there families, and the city said that they wanted to build a park there, so they bought the residents out, and then they demolished the homes and apartments that were there," Davis said.
Now facing a second demolition, Davis wants the land to return to its original purpose.
"If they demolish it, put affordable housing in there," Davis said. "Put houses back there that was on that property in the beginning."
The pastor of New Life Hope Assembly on Thomas Street for 20 years, Davis emphasized the need for workforce housing that everyday working people can afford, not units priced at $1,500 to $2,000 per month.
City Councilman Liston Bochette, who represents Ward 4, supports the complete demolition to make way for what he envisions as a transformative development for Southwest Florida.
"We plan to build a multiple use facility there," Bochette said. "I'd love to save that stadium. It's a lot of history as part of our culture, but we need also to see what the developments wants to build, and we need to move expeditiously."
Bochette's vision includes a multiplex sports center that would draw visitors from across the state, country and internationally, along with hotels, restaurants and housing. He believes the development could double the size of downtown Fort Myers by connecting midtown and downtown areas.
"If we look at stadiums today, the new modern stadiums, they have shopping centers in them. They have restaurants in them," Bochette said. "That's the concept."
The councilman drew from his experience helping the International Olympic Committee evaluate potential host cities, noting that Fort Myers already has the infrastructure of hotels, restaurants and shops that make it an ideal location for major sporting events.
Regarding housing, Bochette supports what he calls "workforce housing" for shopkeepers and restaurant workers who can walk to work, similar to successful developments in Gainesville's Celebration Point.
The city plans to conduct a feasibility study to determine the best use for the property, with several parties expressing interest in designing, constructing and managing the facility.
One contentious issue that emerged during community discussions involves the potential sale of stadium seats to the public. When people learned about this possibility, many expressed frustration over what they see as continued mismanagement of the property.
Bochette responded by suggesting the seats should be given away free to any Fort Myers citizens who want them rather than sold.
"Let's give the seats away. Anybody who wants them come pick up your seat," Bochette said. "Let's help our citizens be proud and prideful in their community."
The Fort Myers City Council will bring the complete demolition proposal to a regular meeting for an official vote. If approved, the city plans to salvage elements that future developers can incorporate into new construction, with some seats potentially displayed at city buildings as a tribute to the park's baseball heritage.
For neighbors like Washington and Davis, the decision represents both an end and a potential new beginning for a property that has been central to their community for decades.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
