The city of Fort Myers has been focusing on upgrading its facilities to keep up with the demand of a growing population. Upgrades and repairs to aquatic facilities is just one way the city is following through, working toward its parks and recreation master plan.
“It’s going to take a couple years just to get the facilities fully built out and adjusted,” said Liz Bello-Matthews, public information officer for the city. “So, there’s a lot. It’s not just the needs the pool itself has, but it’s also how the facilities could really play an even bigger role now that we have such a bigger population.”
Fort Myers Aquatic Center and Golfview Pool are two components in the bigger picture, offering recreational space for community members and visitors.
The Aquatic Center closed in April 2021, hoping to reopen in just a few months. Given the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the supply chain, the project faced delays, ultimately reopening on July 4.
The center repairs were included in the city’s budget, costing $1.2 million. The project originally was budgeted just as a resurfacing project, but ended up including resurfacing, retiling and a change of all the filtration.
A kiddie pool, a slide tower and a lap pool are offered at the center, setting it apart from the other two aquatic facilities.
“When it comes to the Aquatic Center, it’s very family friendly oriented,” said Amanda Dusick-Donnar, the center manager of aquatics, adding community members from infants to 90 years old and older frequent the center.
Community members may have noticed the closure of Golfview pool, which faces similar repairs but on a much smaller scale. The estimated cost of repairs, which will mostly be to the shell of the pool, is currently unknown. “We’re hoping for a master plan to come out in the next year or two that has bigger and better plans for that location,” Dusick-Donnar said.
Bello-Matthews said Golfview, featuring a three-and-a-half-foot deep to an 8.5-foot deep four-lane lap pool, may eventually act as a facility to meet one of the current needs they are seeing.
“One of the needs that we’re seeing with Golfview long term is to have more facilities be able to help host meetings and trainings,” she said, “because right now we’re having to do most of that outdoors. So I think that in the future, as we really start evaluating how that venue could really expand and evolve, that’s one of the potential shapes that it’s going to have.”
Fort Myers Parks and Recreation Director Elgin Hicks said Golfview has big plans in the future, including reconstruction of the entire facility.
Each facility attracts dozens of community members daily, including regular lap swimmers and multiple swim clubs and teams. It also caters to the staff members with lifeguard training.
Golfview pool is currently closed, undergoing repairs with an expected opening date to be announced.
The repairs and upgrades to both facilities are just one step toward a bigger plan city leaders have underway. In the meantime, upkeep and upgrades of current facilities are vital to ensure progress toward a master plan in the face of population growth and increased demand.
“We recognize and know that Lee County, and not just the county but the city of Fort Myers, is growing,” Dusick-Donnar said. “People are buying into the sunshine, and the pools here are what people like to come and enjoy either for exercise or just lounging around and hanging out by the pool. Trying to keep up with that demand is always top priority and keeping the community safe.”
