The United Soccer League has decided against a Fort Myers development plan that includes a conversion of City of Palms Park to a soccer pitch, putting the future of the former Boston Red Sox spring home in doubt once again.
City of Palms Park was the spring-training home of the Boston Red Sox from 1993 to 2011, when the BoSox shifted games and unified training camp to JetBlue Park at Fenway South. Lee County and City of Palms Park negotiated over who would control the facility with the departure of the Red Sox, with Fort Myers winning out after a discussion of whether the ballpark would be demolished.
While there were a number of potential reuses pitched to the city, the thought of adding pro minor-league soccer to the mix was attractive to Fort Myers officials, who opened the ballpark redevelopment to an RFP. Selected was an ambitious USL 25-acre redevelopment proposal that includes office, hotel, residential, restaurant and retail, with a total $300-million investment. Part of the funding plan, however, was a big ask from USL–$40 million in bonds, backed by the city and paid back by USL.
However, after further analysis, the USL decided to walk away from the proposal, saying the costs of redeveloping the ballpark were prohibitive given the size of the market. From Fox4:
Councilmember [Liston] Bochette said they are already in talks with other developers and Lee County to turn City of Palms Park into not just a refurbished stadium but a venue for concerts, rodeos and other large events.
“We’re also now engaging in discussions with private developers and there’s a number of them that have lined up but we couldn’t talk to them because the USL deal was on the table,” Councilmember Bochette said.
It doesn’t sound the ballpark is in any eminent danger of being torn down, however. The greater Fort Myers area is a larger market: the Lee County/Collier County (which includes Naples) MSA totals some 1,295,002 residents according to the U.S government, so the idea of converting City of Palms Park to an amphitheater or performing-arts venue will surely have some appeal in the marketplace. Its days as a ballpark or sporting venue appear to have ended, though.
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