Cape Coral Rowing Club moving to Tropicana Park in surprise move

CAPE CORAL, Fla. (WINK) - After seven years of debate, delays, and uncertainty, the Cape Coral Rowing Club has a new home. In a surprise move, the City Council voted 6-1 to approve the club’s use of Tropicana Park on Wednesday night.

Originally, Tropicana Park wasn’t on the agenda. City Council planned to consider an alternative location at Crystal Lake Park in northwest Cape Coral. Councilwoman Jennifer Nelson-Lastra moved to vote on Tropicana Park. Council members Derrick Donnell, Joe Kilraine, Bill Steinke, Keith Long, and Rachel Kaduk voted in favor. Councilwoman Laurie Lehmann voted against. Mayor John Gunter was not present at the meeting.

Tropicana Park was supposed to be the rowers' new home, club President Saundra Weston said. But council failed to approve an agreement that would have allowed the club to use Tropicana after a 4-4 vote in April.

The move faced opposition from the Northwest Neighborhood Association, which raised safety concerns. The association argued that increased boat traffic from the Seven Islands project could put rowers at risk.

But club President Saundra Weston pushed back on that, calling it a political argument. The rowers said Tropicana Park was built for them, and moving elsewhere would cost taxpayers money.

The Crystal Lake location would have required $60,000 worth of improvements to make the location feasible, Weston said.

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