FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Elly Soto McKuen, Lee County Community Redevelopment

(941) 338-3161

PROJECT MAKES BONITA BUSINESS DISTRICT PEDESTRIAN FRIENDLY

FORT MYERS, Fla. (June 29, 2000) – Lee County will officially dedicate $4.5 million of streetscape and road improvements to Old 41 in Bonita Springs Friday (June 30) – a project that will make Bonita’s business district more pedestrian friendly and beautiful.

The ribbon cutting ceremony will be held at 9 a.m. at Depot Park.

The ceremony marks the completion of the two-year project, which stretches from Bonita Beach Road to Rosemary Drive. The new streetscape includes landscaping, brick sidewalks, lighting, benches and signage. In addition, Rosemary Drive south to Terry Street has been widened to five lanes, providing traffic relief for motorists turning onto east and west Terry Street.

The project was funded by Lee County and Bonita Springs Utilities and was based on a design by the Lee County Community Redevelopment Agency and Bonita Springs Local Redevelopment Planning Committee. It also involved coordinating with Bonita Springs Utilities and the Lee County Department of Transportation. Each moved up construction timetables for road and sewer projects so streetscape improvements wouldn’t have to be torn up down the road.

During construction, county officials and the contractor, Guymann Construction, worked closely with property and business owners along Old 41 Road to ensure that accesses remained open and traffic continued to flow at all times. Guymann went so far as to run work shifts at night and on weekends to further accommodate the local businesses and citizens.

The project is an example of cooperation and partnership between the public and private sectors to improve the quality of life in Lee County.