A rendering from Card & Associates shows a concept for the proposed Midtown fieldhouse and surrounding public space in Fort Myers. Plans remain preliminary as the city and developer continue studying the project.
Fort Myers City Council and private developer partner Card & Associates want to go big on plans for a Midtown sports fieldhouse and multiuse commercial and residential hub.
With a $356,180 site scoping process near completion, Card representatives asked council members to pick their preference among four options for the project’s indoor fieldhouse anchor, ranging from 162,000 to 200,000 square feet.
“We really need to get an idea of what the priorities are,” Card Executive Vice President of Real Estate Development Dan Connors told council members at a meeting Sept. 16.
While no official vote was taken, council members all agreed with Card to focus for now on the largest option.
An economic study by Points Consulting, commissioned by Card and the city as part of the site scoping process, found that the proposed fieldhouse could generate $62.7 million in annual economic impact once fully operational.
Each larger option has a potentially greater impact at the tradeoff of less surrounding space, with room for parking being one of the development’s most challenging aspects, Connors said.
The company considers $20 million or more in expected economic impact a success, he added. The region’s strong tourism industry — compared with other parts of the country — drove the study’s number higher.
“To see $60 million is very exciting even for us,” Connors said.
Demolition is underway Sept. 17 at the former City of Palms Park in Fort Myers. The site could become part of a larger Midtown development centered on an indoor sports fieldhouse.
The study does not include the project’s surrounding development plans for complementary retail, hotel, commercial and residential uses, which remain flexible depending on market conditions.
Card has agreed to cover the development costs of the project, including paying the city back for the site scoping agreement, if it reaches a formal construction agreement. That could still be months away.
The company reached out to local stakeholders for input and plans to hold town hall-style charrettes, beginning in October, to gain feedback from Midtown residents and would-be neighbors of the fieldhouse project.
A conceptual site plan from Card & Associates shows a potential Midtown Fort Myers development with a fieldhouse, apartments, townhouses, hotels, retail and dining. The proposal places the fieldhouse near the existing Fort Myers Skatium, which the city operates on Broadway.
The plan is a potential answer to replacing the old City of Palms Park in Midtown, the economic development gem of a previous generation that ended up abandoned and is now in the process of being demolished.
Card is developing its plan alongside city staff, Miami-based planning firm Dover, Kohl & Partners and AIM Construction on larger plans for a Midtown makeover that is already underway.
The city held a town hall meeting at nonprofit Collaboratory Sept. 17 to offer public information on the Midtown streetscape and infrastructure project. In March, City Council approved a $29.5 million contract with AIM to begin Phase One construction.
If the fieldhouse plan comes to fruition, it would serve as Midtown’s economic anchor, a flex space designed to generate key revenue from youth and traveling sports leagues while serving as a community gathering spot for local events and entertainment.
Attendees examine plans for the Midtown Streetscape & Utility Replacement Project during a Sept. 17 community open house at Collaboratory in Fort Myers. The project calls for utility, drainage, streetscape and pedestrian improvements.
The Points study identifies the fieldhouse complex as a regional draw. It would be one of several large sports-based attractions throughout Florida.
Card’s most recent architectural renderings show apartments above retail and dining at the corner of Broadway and Edison Ave., where the City of Palms Park — what’s left of it — is now.
The fieldhouse itself sits immediately to the north, just up Broadway at Hoople Street across from the existing Skatium, with a linear park dividing the two sections.
Plans don’t currently call for any large outdoor sports component, with most of the activity happening in the fieldhouse.
The potential for both an indoor arts center and an outdoor amphitheater with live entertainment was discussed, depending on their compatibility with the quiet Midtown neighborhood.
Demolition continues Sept. 17 at the former City of Palms Park in Fort Myers. The property is part of a larger Midtown redevelopment concept that could include a sports fieldhouse, apartments, hotels, retail and dining.
The fieldhouse designs include a turf field, a variety of multipurpose courts, a fitness center, space for audiences, concessions, restrooms and other related facilities.
It would be a flex space that could be transformed from a sports tournament venue to a live entertainment venue for a wide variety of community events and gatherings. Surrounding retail and hotels would potentially serve visitors and their families.
Sports, such as basketball, volleyball, soccer, football, gymnastics and others might be accommodated.
“Flag football is huge right now,” Connors noted. “It’s a huge, growing opportunity.”
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