The Caloosa Sound Amphitheater in downtown Fort Myers is set to have its "soft opening" tomorrow, where several athletes including Dolphins cornerback Byron Jones will be in attendance.
"We're having a shark tank type event where Lee County school students are going to be able to present concepts to several NFL football players and might possibly walk away with the funding it," says Mayor Kevin Anderson.
The amphitheater is just across the street from the Luminary Hotel, which is set to manage it. It's all part of a $92 million project that included the hotel, its restaurants and the 40,000 square foot event center.
Mayor Anderson says the project is not completely finished yet, and the city is still waiting on some electrical fixtures that have been held up due to supply chain issues.
"As everybody knows, the supply chain has not been favorable to us in the last six to nine months. So we're suffering through that just like everybody else," says the Mayor.
But the amphitheater itself has much more in store for community members once the ribbon is officially cut.
The stage is set to host live music, comedians, and other live performances.
Tammi Reyes moved to Fort Myers from central Illinois, and she can't wait to see the River District's vibrant downtown area grow even more.
"It looks so much more up to date, it looks more user friendly so that you can see the bands more, you can enjoy the music more and the scenery," says Reyes.
It's a much-anticipated project which the Mayor hopes will rake in major profits for the City of Palms.
"The more people we bring downtown, the more downtown prospers…it's economic development. It all comes hand in hand," he says.
