New park proposed for Hancock Bridge Parkway site
In an area with high-quality homes and much to do in the way of recreation, there really isn’t anywhere families can go to play fetch with their dog or enjoy county serenity.
That could change if Randy Krise has his way. He has proposed a five-acre park off Hancock Bridge Parkway next to Publix in one of the nicer areas of North Fort Myers.
Krise, a commercial real estate broker who is trying to sell the Grace Church down the street and is currently building a 25-acre industrial park off Littleton Road on the Cape Coral side of the border, said he has a client who owns a tract of land behind Publix that is sandwiched between Hancock Bridge Parkway and a waterway that leads to the Caloosahatchee River.
“We’re trying to make North Fort Myers vibrant. We’re doing a lot of work. This tract can be had for about $550,000, it has more than 40 legacy oak trees on a beautiful piece of property, plus water,” Krise said. “I thought we could consider making this a park.”
Krise, who proposed the park during the North Fort Myers Chamber of Commerce Business Leader’s Luncheon at Raymond’s on the Green on Dec. 21, said the property is flexible and can be made into whatever kind of park they would like.
It’s available and a task force can be put together. The owner said he would wait if people would get together to consider it.
Krise said he would look into talking with the North Fort Myers Civic Association and other groups to see if such a park is viable.
Krise believes it is and must be considered.
“Something like this would be nice. We’ve talked to other people about other projects and we’ve got to make this so people will come here,” Krise said. “I want to get started on this project.”