The city of Cape Coral OK’d spending nearly $1.4 million on construction services at Festival Park.
Cape Coral City Council approved an amendment to a contract, which includes additional sports fields and the use of surface water to irrigate the fields.
The amendment is for $1,389.278.76, which will be offset by the city’s approved 5% controlled contingency fund of $849,046.98, leaving a remaining balance of $540,231.87. This amendment adds 192 calendar days for a new completion date of May 4, 2026.
Public Works Director Matt Williams said the initial contract was to build four fields at Festival Park, with future plans to expand to 10 fields, total.
During construction, the thought was to have fields that have a bare minimum playing surface that are irrigated for the community to use, he said.
“There is a high use of all fields throughout the city,” Williams said. “We, at least, want to get other fields ready and available for practice field use. Six are going to be available to practice and play on.”
Parks and Recreation Director Joe Petrella said there are a lot of adult and youth that have been requesting fields and space.
“We don’t have a lot of room. We are trying to increase the number of soccer, football, or rectangular sports fields to increase that practice utilization,” he said. “We definitely need this space.”
The other amendment is to go from well water to surface water for irrigation.
“It was initially designed to go into the Mid Hawthorn Aquifer,” Williams said, adding that with watering restrictions last year issued “staff and city management felt it would be better to go with surface water options instead of poking another straw into the aquifer.”
Other items will include installing additional electrical disconnect equipment required by LCEC, install bollards in the parking lot to protect lighting poles, install sod in lieu of seed and mulch on the amphitheater slope, relocate the control panels for the field lighting, install additional paving.
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