The Trust for Public Land and Friends of the Bonita–Estero Rail Trail have announced a $10 million discount on the land intended for a new trail, potentially reducing the project's cost from $70.4 million to $60 million. Douglas Hattaway from the Trust for Public Land said, "It is a once in a lifetime generational opportunity to change the trajectory of a community's development."
The proposed 11.4-mile trail would stretch from southern Collier County through Estero.
The Village of Estero and the City of Bonita Springs held meetings to gather community input on the project.
Jon McLain, representative for District 3, said, "We did receive a vote of confidence to move forward of consensus. And then after today's meeting, the council members will meet with the village manager and go through the details, which are fairly complex to purchase."
Village council members are considering two options: leasing first and buying later, or purchasing outright. The decision involves multiple communities, with Estero responsible for $19.8 million, Bonita Springs for $28.6 million, and Collier County for $11.6 million.
Douglas Hattaway emphasized the project's importance for public health and economic development, stating, "It's also about public health. It's a public saving lives because this is the area of the state of Florida. In fact, the country that is known to be the most dangerous to pedestrians and cyclists. But it's also about economic development, too, because businesses and people want to live and invest in a community where they have an amenity like this."
Scott Stryker, appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis as the spokesperson for the Florida Greenways and Trails Council, highlighted poor cycling conditions in Southwest Florida, particularly in Lee County.
He believes the trail would be transformative for Estero, saying, "I learned lots of projects like this happening all around the state. So this one is of particular importance because I see when things are happening in Sarasota or Saint Pete or Jupiter or, you know, Ocala, all these other places where we have cool projects. But there hasn't been one in, you know, Southwest Florida here. So now that I get to see things happening and then this one coming here, it gets me, you know, really excited because I know what it does for other communities that already have, you know, trails like this."
Village of Estero leaders say they will be making the final decision later next month.
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