Crescent Park Revitalizes Fort Myers Beach

AS PART OF CONTINUING RESTORATION EFFORTS FROM HURRICANE IAN, THE TOWN OF FORT MYERS BEACH REACHED A MAJOR REBUILDING MILESTONE WITH THE REOPENING OF THE CRESCENT BEACH FAMILY PARK JUST 2 WEEKS AGO, THE OUTDOOR SPACE COMPLETED A 1.3 MILLION DOLLAR MODERNIZATION AND RESTORATION PROJECT SITUATED JUST OFF OF TIMES SQUARE CRESCENT BEACH. FAMILY PARKE IS OFFERING OUTDOOR SEATING AND BEACH ACCESS FOR VISITORS AND HIS WGCUS CULTURE AND CONNECTIONS. REPORTER ELIZABETH ANDARGE LEARNED THE RELAUNCH IS JUST THE BEGINNING FOR THE AREA. >> I'M JOINED BY ABIGAIL EBERHART, THE PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER FOR THE TOWN OF FORT MYERS FEET. THANK YOU FOR JOINING ME TODAY. SO HAPPY TO BE HERE. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. 4 YEARS IS A LONG TIME DOES TODAY FEEL MORE LIKE A CELEBRATION OR A RELIEF? >> A LITTLE BIT OF BOTH. BUT I THINK MORE OF A CELEBRATION THAN A RELIEF BECAUSE >> THIS IS ONE OF MANY, MANY PROJECTS OPENINGS STARTING REALLY SHOWCASING THAT FORT MYERS BEACH IS BACK. >> WHAT HAS THE REACTION BEEN FROM THE LOCAL COMMUNITY? PEOPLE ARE POSITIVE. THEY'RE EXCITED. SO WHILE WE MAY BE FEELING REALLY FUN TO BE ON THE GOVERNMENT SIDE BECAUSE WE'VE SEEN THE PROCESSES AND PROCEDURES. >> THE PUBLIC IS JUST A STATIC. YOU KNOW, THEY'RE SUPPORTIVE THEIR KIND. THEY COME TO RIBBON CUTTINGS. YOU KNOW, THEY COME TO OPENINGS AND FOR THE PARK. IT'S BEEN OVERWHELMINGLY POSITIVELY RECEIVED. TAKING US BACK TO HURRICANE IAN THIS TIME AROUND WHEN IT WAS REBUILT. WHAT WENT INTO IT TO MAKE SURE IT DOESN'T HAPPEN AGAIN. >> WELL, THERE WAS CERTAINLY THE MENTALITY OF NEEDING TO BE BUILT TO FEMA SPECIFICATIONS. SO IT OBVIOUSLY MEET ALL THOSE PARAMETERS. >> BUT THERE WAS ALSO AN ADDED FOCUS ON IT BEING 88 COMPLIANT AS WELL AS THE TOWN OF FORT MYERS BEACH. WE ARE TRYING TO MAKE THE BEACH MORE ACCESSIBLE FOR ALL PEOPLE. SO THERE'S ACTUALLY A BEACH ACCESS POINT THAT IS SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED FOR ADA COMPLIANCE AND THE TOWN OF FORT MYERS BEACH ACTUALLY OFFERS BEACH WHEELCHAIRS. SO TOGETHER, WE'RE JUST MAKING A SPEECH, A HAPPIER, MORE WELCOMING PLACE FOR ALL. >> AND IN TERMS OF THE COST, I HEARD THAT THIS PROJECT WAS AROUND 1.3 MILLION. >> I THINK IT WAS AROUND ONE. YES, 1.3 MILLION. I THINK IT WENT A LITTLE BIT OVER THAT. BUT IT CAME IN, YOU KNOW, UNDER WHAT THE SOME OF THE PROJECTED COSTS WITHOUT THEY WERE GOING TO BE WOULD BE AND OVERALL, WE'RE REALLY HAPPY WITH THE COMPLETION TIME. >> WHAT DO YOU WANT THE COMMUNITY TO KNOW ABOUT HOW THEIR TAXPAYER MONEY WAS SPENT. >> WELL, IT WAS SPENT VERY WELL AND EFFICIENTLY. THE THE PARK IS IMPORTANT TO THE COMMUNITY. TIMES SQUARE IS IMPORTANT TO THE COMMUNITY. THAT WHOLE AREA IS REALLY A SYMBOL OF THE ISLAND BUILDING BACK AND COMING BACK. AND, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW PEOPLE THINK 4 YEARS TAKES A LONG TIME, BUT WE WANT THINGS TO BE BILL RIGHT. WE WANT THEM TO WEATHER THE NEXT 100 YEAR STORM AND BE AROUND FOR A VERY LONG TIME. CAN YOU SELL ME ON IT? >> YOU KNOW, I HAVE MY BEAT HOT. I HAVE MY TOWEL. MY SUNGLASSES. WHY SHOULD I HEAD OUT THERE THIS WEEKEND? WELL, I THINK THE FLORIDA WEATHER WILL SELL YOU ON. AND SOMETIMES WE GET IN UPWARDS OF 97 TO 100 DEGREES. >> THE PARK HAS WONDERFUL OVERHANGS THAT HAS SHADED HAD PLACES FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY TO RELAX ON THE GRASS. SO THERE'S A LOT OF FEATURES THAT MAKE IT COMFORTABLE. I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU, BUT WINDS FAN GETS IN BETWEEN MY HANDS. I WANT A LITTLE BIT OF A BREAK FROM THE BEACH FOR A FEW MOMENTS. >> THAT'S TRUE AT THIS PARK IS REALLY A PLACE TO GIVE FAMILY MEMBERS NEW MEMORIES AGAIN. RETURN OLD MEMORIES. CAN YOU TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT IT MEANS TO GIVE THAT SPACE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY? I MEAN, IT'S WHY WE'RE HERE. IT'S WHY WE WORK IN GOVERNMENT. IT'S TO GIVE PEOPLE BACK THE SERVICES THAT THEY WANT, YOU KNOW, AND DESERVE. I THINK THERE'S A LARGE CONVERSATION RIGHT NOW IN MUNICIPALITIES BECAUSE OF THIS NEW TAX REFERENDUM THAT PUBLIC SPACES AND PUBLIC PARKS ARE NEEDED. WE NEED TO CUT THEM. WE NEED TO LIMIT THEM. AND I THINK THIS IS A SYMBOL THAT NO 3RD SPACES ARE NECESSARY. PUBLIC SPACES OR NEXUS NECESSARY TO BRING A COMMUNITY TOGETHER AND TO REALLY SOLIDIFY THAT COHESION. THAT MAKES A COMMUNITY STRONG. >> THE TIMES SQUARE AREA IS SEEING A MAJOR REBUILD. >> CAN WE TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO GET THIS PART OF FORT MYERS BEACH BACK UP AND RUNNING. I MEAN, THE PIER IS A SYMBOL OF THE ISLAND. I'M RELATIVELY NEW TO MY POSITION THAT WHEN I CAME IN A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO. >> I HAD A LOT OF PEOPLE TELLING ME REMOVE THE PIER FROM THE WEBSITE. WE HAVE THIS BEAUTIFUL PHOTO OF THE PAIR ON THE WEBSITE. IT'S MAKING A SENSE THAT IT'S BRINGING BACK BAD MEMORIES BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE APPEARED YET. AND WHEN YOU HEAR THAT, YOUR YOUR HEART GOES OUT TO PEOPLE BECAUSE YOU WANT TO GIVE THEM BACK THIS COMMUNITY THAT THEY REMEMBER AND YOU WANT TO BE EVEN BETTER THAN IT WAS BEFORE A MORE FORMIDABLE. THAT WAS BEFORE. SO I THINK WE'RE ALL JUST SO EXCITED. YOU KNOW, THE TOWN AND THE COUNTY TO BE ABLE TO BRING THIS PAIR BACK SO PEOPLE CAN ENJOY IT AND FEEL LIKE FORT MYERS BEACH IS REALLY BACK. >> CAN WE GET ANY SNEAK? PEEK PREVIEWS ON UPDATES ON THE PIER. >> I AM COMFORTABLE SAYING AND OF COURSE, I CAN'T SPEAK FOR THE COUNTY BUT I'M COMFORTABLE SAYING THAT IN THE NEXT 2 AND A HALF TO 3 WEEKS, WE WILL SEE AN OFFICIAL GROUNDBREAKING. I THINK ALSO IN THAT RIBBON CUTTING, WE WILL ALSO BE CELEBRATING CRESCENT BEACH PARK. I THINK IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE COMBINED TO SO JUST AN OVERALL CELEBRATION OF THE COMMUNITY RETURNING TO WHAT IT ONCE WAS. THAT'S FROM A WORRY. >> IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THAT YOU'D LIKE TO SHARE WITH US ABOUT THE? >> FORT MYERS BEACH ABOUT FORT MYERS BEACH, JUST THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY SEEING SOMETHING COMEBACK BEING REBUILT OR OPENING ALMOST EVERY MONTH. AND SO WE'RE REALLY HITTING STRIDE RIGHT NOW WITH THINGS COMING BACK >> SO JUST LOOK OUT FOR MORE RIBBON CUTTINGS AND WE'RE GROUND BREAKINGS.