Democracy Watch

Steve Nicks hasn’t been spending his retirement as a golfer, as many local residents do. He has spent it fixing bicycles — for a good purpose.

Residents and business owners of Bonita Springs attended a meeting held by Barron Collier Companies to share their thoughts on development of Imperial Crossing, the former spot of mobile park home Bamboo Village. Some residents are excited to see a more modern-style project within the city, while some are disappointed and concerned about the lack of charm.

Cape Coral joins 13 other cities and counties in participating in the Resiliency Compact, dedicated to curbing climate change.

Lee County Commissioners approved a $12 million tourism advertising plan in September, signifying the area’s focus on growing its top industry. Tourism in Lee County, and Southwest Florida in general, is a driving economic engine. More construction plans of hotels and the city are being discussed to attract more tourists.

In May 2021, preliminary construction began on Alico Road in Fort Myers. It is unknown when the construction will be completed, but the ultimate goal is to connect SR82 to Alico Road, creating a direct path from Lehigh Acres to Fort Myers. That path will cut through endangered Florida Panther territory.

Lee County Commissioners approved a contract for $3.5 million with Chris-Tel Corporation to provide construction services to renovate Lee Tran's Rosa Parks bus terminal.

The Lee Board of County Commissioners voted to accept a $2.5 million grant from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) on Tuesday, Oct. 5.

Collier County Commissioners have unanimously approved spending nearly $5 million on three beach renourishment projects to mitigate the normal effects of erosions along shorelines in the county.

Collier County has started making improvements to high traffic roads as part of a multi-million-dollar plan to accommodate its growing population. Commissioner William McDaniel shares a detailed layout of the plan that will improve three key interchanges in the county’s urban area.

The Fort Myers City Council voted last week to reposes the City of Palms Park from Lee County, temporarily saving the ballpark from demolition.