City of Palms Park demolition approved, historic artifacts to be preserved

FORT MYERS, Fla. (WINK)—The City of Fort Myers is moving forward with the demolition of City of Palms Park after city leaders approved a contractor to tear down the longtime landmark during Monday night's meeting.

City of Palms Park's future, once in question, is now set in motion. Fort Myers leaders have officially approved a contractor to demolish the stadium, clearing the way for redevelopment.

"I'm hopeful that the new development is something that brings the Midtown back to life, which was the original goal of the park, and I don't think it ever really achieved what its goal was," said Gina Sabiston, chairwoman of the City of Fort Myers Historic Preservation Commission.

Before any walls come down, pieces of history are being carefully pulled out. Exactly where those items are being kept and what happens next is still being worked out. 

"The artifacts that were stored at City of Palms Park included some of the facade and relief elements from the Coca-Cola building," Sabiston said. "There were also some of the lights from the original Edison Bridge."

Sabiston said the next step is to figure out what to do with those items and ensure they don't disappear from public view. She and city leaders plan to meet at the beginning of the month to map out exactly how these historic pieces will be used and where they could end up.

"That's what I want to meet with city staff about, is, how can we do better by these artifacts and do better by the city and the community that these mean something to and put them on display," Sabiston said.

When it comes to displaying some items, Sabiston said the Burroughs Home has expressed interest. The Hendry family has also expressed an interest in displaying them adjacent to their building in downtown Fort Myers.

Sabiston said their priority is making sure the history of City of Palms Park remains visible, even after the structure itself is gone. While a demolition timeline hasn't been finalized yet, city leaders say this marks a major step forward in transforming the site while preserving parts of its past.