Attendees review concept boards for the proposed Innovation Walk during an Aug. 21 public open house at the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center in downtown Fort Myers.
Evan Williams
A team from urban planning firm Perkins&Will held a series of public meetings in August to gather feedback for its plan to transform the downtown Fort Myers riverfront into a signature attraction: a multiuse, multimedia walkway steeped in local history and art.
The Innovation Walk is a long-term initiative of the Fort Myers Community Redevelopment Agency. Its planners aim to revitalize the riverfront and pay homage to the area’s historic innovators, from the Indigenous Calusa people to Thomas Alva Edison.
The walk grew out of talks surrounding the 2020 Edison Awards, an annual downtown event that hosts innovative companies from around the world.
“We wanted to do something that was going to give the Edison Awards some legs, something that was going to help us marry what was happening once a year to something that the public could consume and enjoy,” recalled Lee County Economic Development Director John Talmage.
An Innovation Walk planning board highlights potential economic development opportunities along the proposed route, including redevelopment, small-business activity and increased foot traffic in downtown Fort Myers.
Evan Williams
Since then, it has become something more. Talmage calls the project “a prime economic development initiative” intended to spur investment in the River District.
In February, Fort Myers City Council members, acting as the CRA Board of Commissioners, approved $500,000 plus up to $100,000 in business expenses for the Perkins&Will team to create a master plan for the Innovation Walk.
It began to take shape this month through community feedback at an Aug. 21 open house at the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center, an Aug. 26 CRA Board meeting at City Hall, an Aug. 27 panel discussion at Collaboratory and hundreds of online surveys.
During this hot, humid month, at least one thing became clear: The downtown riverfront needs shade. About 98% of respondents highlighted the need for it, planners said, whether provided by trees or creative artistic design.
A project map shows the proposed first phase of Fort Myers’ Innovation Walk at Centennial Park, including “The Blue Light,” an artwork by Adrian L. Burrell that planners say is in the permitting process.
Evan Williams
“The three things that we’ve really seen coming up are that people want amenities that offer livability, resilience and comfort,” said Sarah McColley, Perkins&Will project manager. “And so, the thing that most people have agreed on is shade.”
That is among many details beginning to emerge as planners hone the “Big Idea” into realities that will reshape a corridor roughly three-quarters of a mile long, from Hendry Street to the Edison & Ford Winter Estates. The idea serves as a guide for creating the walkway.
“Essentially we’re wanting to create an immersive, awe-inspiring place that sparks wonder and belonging,” McColley said. “Those were some of the key words that came out of that exercise.”
The walk’s final design depends in part on how much financial support is garnered through the city, CRA, grants, tax credits and private contributions. Funding will affect design elements such as whether there is a floating boardwalk stretching into the Caloosahatchee River and surrounding the city marina.
Designers also are considering how to incorporate the area’s history, biology, music, art and other elements throughout the walk, which will include points of interest in Centennial Park, along West First Street and McGregor Boulevard.
Residents and project planners discuss concepts for Fort Myers’ Innovation Walk during an Aug. 21 open house at the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center. The proposed walkway would stretch roughly three-quarters of a mile along the downtown riverfront.
Evan Williams
The project is set to be constructed in stages, or loops. While it may take years to fully complete the master plan, each loop is intended to be a stand-alone experience, with some project elements appearing sooner rather than later.
One of the first Innovation Walk installations will likely be “The Blue Light,” an artwork by Adrian L. Burrell featuring solar-powered lights. Planners say Burrell’s piece is in the permitting process for installation in Centennial Park.
More information about the Innovation Walk may be found at the project’s website.