FORT MYERS, Fla. — Take a look at this artwork below, it can be found at Lions Park in Fort Myers.
Your Fort Myers community correspondent Miyoshi Price spoke to the Director of Parks and Recreation, Elgin Hicks, about the upgrades. Hicks said this is just the beginning for improved green spaces.
"Being here on a greater scale, it just gives us an opportunity, to provide programming, provide activity," says Hicks. He continued by saying that there were more plans of expanding programming at parks and schools.
"We've actually been working with Lee Schools to collab with them, so that we can renovate some of their recreational programs and open it up to the public, and just give kids a lot more opportunity to be outside and be kids and enjoy being a kid right now."
Hicks grew up in Southwest Florida and told FOX 4 he remembers seeing parks in the area dormant.
"We wanted to improve the playground," says Hicks. "We wanted to improve the cosmetics of the park, make it more attractive."
FOX 4 has done numerous stories regarding residents' concerns about the homeless population, especially at Lions Park.
Parks and Rec says they have a plan for relighting the park.
"I think definitely, [hurricane] Ian kind of messed up some of our lighting situations, [we're] working with FMPD, we just want to light it up and program it."
Safety measures include hiring a park ranger who will make rounds at night.
Hicks says groups like the Fort Myers Mural Society and the city's public art committees worked to get artists and funding for this project.
On Monday, at a council meeting, they approved the completion of renovations of Lions Park by the Public Art Committee, in the amount of $10,100, for sidewalk, benches, and pavilion mural installations by the Fort Myers Mural Society at Lions Park playground; the theme is native animals.
"We reunited with the Lions Club, so that was good," says Hicks. "Also with the Edison Park community, they wanted to get the park back, and they want to program it and make it safe for their families."
The renovation of the tennis, basketball, and pickleball courts is an example of what could be done for parks closer to your neighborhood.
A General Obligation bondwill be on the ballot this November.
City leaders say they plan to use it for more AND improved green spaces.
"We're tremendously low with green space, so we're looking for opportunities to buy park land so that we can increase our, increase our, our park space," says Hicks.
