Fort Myers, Lee County to build new library downtown

FLORIDA WEEKLY MAP It’s been more than 30 years since Lee County’s library in downtown Fort Myers has seen major improvements. But it won’t need any because the city is getting a new library in a new spot downtown. Fort Myers has purchased land on the eastern edge of the River District for $3.9 million and Lee County commissioners have agreed to build the city a new $20 million facility there.

Officials have high expectations for the new library, which they say will draw an estimated 300,000 people per year, attract new businesses, be a community destination and help complete the city’s 2003 master plan created by new-urban designer Andres Duany.

“We asked the county to make it an architectural landmark,” said City Councilman Mike Flanders, whose district includes downtown. “We want its presence to be well seen and well known so anytime you’re approaching First Street, we want you to be able to see a landmark down there and really be curious to visit this new facility.”

The old library will become a fire station when the new one is finished. And that old fire station building on MLK will be used by its next-door neighbor, Gannet Corp.’s The News-Press, which purchased it about two years ago.

“They bought that back in the heyday when they were thinking of expansion,” said Councilman Flanders. “I don’t know what they’re thinking now, but it’s theirs.”

Construction on a new library is slated to begin on the eastern edge the River District next year. It is the latest addition to the area’s many improvements that include new brick streets and high-rise condos.

Drawing from a fund of $5 million earmarked for public libraries, according to Fort Myers City Attorney Grant Alley, the city purchased 3.3 acres on the corner of First Street and Royal Palm Avenue on which the county has committed to build the facility.

The city had two other sites in mind, but they either didn’t fit the budget of $5 million or less or didn’t have enough room for parking. Taxpayers ended up spending $3.9 million for the land, a price tag appraised by Fort Myersbased firm Carlson-Norris & Associates. The remaining $1 million or so will be kept in reserves.

According to Judy Grippo, a real estate specialist representing the city, taxpayers paid $30.12 per square foot for the land. Ms. Grippo brokered the land transaction between the city and Hickory Co. LLC, which had owned the parcel — most of it a parking lot next to a bank and a health club — for 10 years. LandQwest Commercial represented Hickory Co. in negotiations with the city.

“We had it on the market for sale and I knew the city was looking for a couple different sites for a possible library,” said Bob Pekol, with LandQwest. “They wanted it in the core of downtown. And specifically they liked First Street. They got exactly what they wanted.”

Meanwhile, the county has agreed to construct the library on the city’s land at a cost of $20 million, also from taxpayer money earmarked specifically for libraries. The city will lease the land to the county for a fee of $1 per year.

Councilman Flanders said there was also a family that donated $1 million to the county last year to be used for a new library downtown. It will be more than twice as big as the old one, at 40,000 square feet. It will also be environmentally friendly, real estate specialist Ms. Grippo said, as the first LEED-certified building in the River District.

The county has built libraries elsewhere in Lee, but after more than 30 years, downtown Fort Myers’ number finally came up. “(The county) has gone full circle in 30 years,” Mr. Flanders said. “It just so happened to be that the downtown library is next. They were going to renovate the one we have on Jackson Street and Widman Way. (But) we felt that following the downtown plan of trying to get a large pedestrian facility on First Street, that a library would be a great project. So we put our heads together to take land that the library sits on and use that for the new fire station.”

Mayor Jim Humphrey, who would have preferred the library be located closer to the Caloosahatchee River, was the only dissenting vote on the land the city purchased. He couldn’t be reached by phone last week.

“Mayor Humphrey always said he had a vision of the library on the riverfront,” said Mr. Flanders, instead of a few blocks inland. “The problem with the riverfront location was the Harborside Event Center. The problem is if you build anywhere near the river, and Harborside has a large event, the consultants pretty much said there would be limited to no access. I told him ‘that’s a good romantic vision Mayor, but we don’t have a place to do it.’” 