{"id":233776,"date":"2026-04-16T04:44:26","date_gmt":"2026-04-16T04:44:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/233776\/"},"modified":"2026-04-16T04:44:26","modified_gmt":"2026-04-16T04:44:26","slug":"capes-jaycee-park-gets-opening-date-with-boardwalk-splash-pad-more","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/233776\/","title":{"rendered":"Cape’s Jaycee Park gets opening date with boardwalk, splash pad, more"},"content":{"rendered":"

After 1\u00bd years of construction<\/a>, Cape Coral\u2019s Jaycee Park reopens this month with a new riverfront boardwalk, bandshell, 5,000-square-foot splash pad and more changes.<\/p>\n

The City of Cape Coral announced the news April 13. The park will reopen to the public Thursday, April 30, followed by a ribbon cutting May 8.<\/p>\n

\u201cJaycee Park has undergone a major transformation into a more accessible, family-friendly waterfront destination,\u201d the news release said, adding that the renovation addresses “issues like aging facilities, invasive trees, and parking and pedestrian challenges.\u201d<\/p>\n

The 11.8-acre park\u00a0\u2014 at 4215 SE 20th Place \u2014 has been closed to the public since October 2024 for the controversial redesign (see below). The project cost more than $12 million.<\/p>\n

After the park reopens, the city plans to start holding various entertainment events there, Parks and Recreation Director Joe Petrella told The News-Press\/Naples Daily News in an April 8 news article.<\/a><\/p>\n

Changes to Jaycee Park: Boardwalk, splash bad, food trucks and more\"An<\/p>\n

An artist’s rendering of the redesigned Jaycee Park in Cape Coral<\/p>\n

According to the city, the \u201cnewly improved\u201d park features:<\/p>\n

A lighted riverfront boardwalk and overlook,<\/p>\n

A 5,000-square-foot splash pad,<\/p>\n

A bandshell for performances,<\/p>\n

Upgraded pathways with cooling misters,<\/p>\n

A large inclusive playground,<\/p>\n

Cornhole, pool and shuffleboard tables,<\/p>\n

and, coming soon, a dedicated food truck court offering food and beverages.<\/p>\n

The release doesn\u2019t mention the park’s planned bistro, but the bistro building has been a visible part of the construction and a February 2026 update from the city reported that bistro’s roof and stucco have been completed. The city’s Office of Communications didn’t immediately respond to a request for more details.<\/p>\n

No reservations are required to attend the 10 a.m. ribbon cutting on Friday, May 8, said the news release. The event is open to the public.<\/p>\n

How did the Jaycee Park project begin, and why has it been so controversial?<\/p>\n

The park’s redesign<\/a>\u00a0traces back to a city-issued request for proposals in 2022, which sought to significantly\u00a0reimagine Jaycee Park<\/a>, one of Cape Coral\u2019s oldest waterfront parks.<\/p>\n

For decades,\u00a0the park<\/a>\u00a0functioned as a quiet neighborhood space with open lawns, a playground, picnic areas, walking paths and a gazebo. The approved plan added new amenities, including boat slips, a splash pad, a food truck court and a bandshell.<\/p>\n

Critics objected<\/a>\u00a0to what they described as the commercialization of the park, increased traffic and noise and the long-term debt used to finance the project. During city meetings in 2023, residents argued that amenities such as the bandshell, food truck court and docks would erode the park\u2019s character and disrupt the surrounding neighborhood.<\/p>\n

A group of residents\u00a0organized under the Cape Coral Preservation PAC<\/a>\u00a0attempted to force a public referendum on the project. The group collected more than 7,700 signatures but fell short of the roughly 22,000 needed to place the measure on the ballot, clearing the way for construction to continue.<\/p>\n

Supporters<\/a>, including several council members, defended the changes as necessary upgrades to aging infrastructure and to make better use of the park\u2019s riverfront location. The council hosted meetings to get\u00a0community feedback<\/a>\u00a0on the project.<\/p>\n

\"This<\/p>\n

This aerial view of Jaycee Park in Cape Coral was captured in the afternoon of Nov. 12, 2025. The park is currently closed for renovations, with a projected completion date of April 2026. Recent progress includes framing for the overlook boardwalk, pouring the bistro building’s foundation, and filling concrete blocks for the bandshell and restrooms. Upcoming work includes the construction of the south weir, underground plumbing, and playground installation.<\/p>\n

Charles Runnells covers arts and entertainment for The News-Press and the Naples Daily News. To reach him, call 239-335-0368 or email crunnells@usatodayco.com. Follow or message him on Facebook(@charles.runnells.7), Instagram (@crunnells1) and X (@CharlesRunnells).<\/p>\n

Please support local community journalism and stay informed about Southwest Florida news by subscribing to The News-Press<\/a> and Naples Daily News<\/a>. Download the free News-Press<\/a> or Naples Daily News app, and sign up for daily briefing email newsletter, food & dining and growth & development newsletters here<\/a> and here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Cape Coral’s Jaycee Park set to reopen with bandshell, boardwalk, more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"After 1\u00bd years of construction, Cape Coral\u2019s Jaycee Park reopens this month with a new riverfront boardwalk, bandshell,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":233777,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[209,211,210,11682,84586],"class_list":{"0":"post-233776","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-cape-coral","8":"tag-cape-coral","9":"tag-cape-coral-headlines","10":"tag-cape-coral-news","11":"tag-jaycee-park","12":"tag-splash-pad"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/233776","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=233776"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/233776\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/233777"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=233776"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=233776"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=233776"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}