Cape Coral’s park system is entering a busy stretch, with playgrounds opening across the city, visible upgrades at Lake Kennedy Community Park and the long-running Yellow Fever Creek project nearing completion along the Del Prado Extension.
The city has marked several of those improvements with ribbon-cutting ceremonies over the past two weeks.
What’s new at Lake Kennedy Community Park?
New branding for Lake Kennedy Community Park’s pickleball center has been installed, along with a new electronic sign. City officials said installation of the sign is underway and expected to be completed this month.
These additions follow the installation of new outdoor exercise equipment at the park, which opened after a ribbon-cutting ceremony in November. The upgrades are part of ongoing efforts to modernize the park and expand amenities for residents of all ages.
What parks are opening?
The Storm Complex playground at 2602 Chiquita Blvd. S officially opened Feb. 20.
Jim Jeffers Park playground at 2187 SW 3rd Lane officially opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday, Feb. 27.
An opening ceremony for the Joe Stonis Park playground at 3444 Ceitus Parkway is planned for Friday, March 6, at 10 a.m.
“The Joe Stonis playground is designed to provide a safe, engaging, and inclusive recreational space for children and families, further enhancing the City’s commitment to quality parks and community amenities,” the city wrote in a statement.
What is the current status of the Yellow Fever Creek project?
Last year, the city approved reclassifying 14.2 acres of the 200-acre Yellow Fever Creek Preserve from “Parks and Recreation” to “Public Facilities” to allow for the construction of two booster stations and four large water storage tanks. City officials have said the infrastructure is necessary to support drinking water and irrigation needs in northeast Cape Coral.
Construction on the Yellow Fever Creek project along the Del Prado Extension is nearly complete, though the project has experienced delays.
City officials report the project is approximately 99% complete. Recent progress has been slowed by weather conditions, and the city has assessed liquidated damages against the previous contractor, who has since been removed from the site.
A new construction manager is now evaluating the remaining work needed to finish the project. A pre-construction report is expected to be delivered by March 30. The city anticipates the overall facility will open later this year.
Some residents have opposed the project, arguing it reduces protected green space, threatens the habitats of protected species and potentially disrupts the preserve’s natural water flow and storm-surge defenses.
“Yellow Fever Creek Preserve is a natural oasis. You’re taking something that’s already been purposed and already been promised to the people as this kind of situation, and then you just come along, and you cannibalize it for something else,” said Patricia Schumacher, who spoke during a council meeting April 2, 2025.
During that same meeting, Mayor John Gunter defended the decision. “We have to make these hard decisions and look at what is in the best interest of the community as a whole. I sympathize with each and every one of you that comes forward here today, and you’re right, I probably wouldn’t like it in my backyard, but this project started many, many years ago,” he said.
Which parks are temporarily closed for renovations?
While some parks are reopening with new amenities, others are closed for full playground replacements.
The playground at Pelican Soccer Complex, located at 4020 SW 2nd Court, closed Jan. 28 and is expected to remain closed for about three months during construction.
The playground at Paul Sanborn Park, 2310 SE 3rd St., will temporarily close beginning Monday, March 2, for a full replacement project and is expected to remain closed for approximately three months.
The city has also temporarily closed the observation towers at Rotary Park Environmental Center and along the Glover Bight Trail for repairs. No reopening timeline has been announced.
Who are the parks named after?
Several of the updated parks honor longtime community figures.
Jim Jeffers, the namesake of Jim Jeffers Park, served on the Cape Coral City Council from 2005 until his death in 2006. After sustaining a spinal cord injury, Jeffers used a wheelchair and advocated for accessibility and inclusion, promoting the idea that physical limitations should not prevent an active life.
Joe Stonis, honored at Joe Stonis Park, served as president of the Cape Coral Beautification Foundation for 13 years. He played a major role in early beautification efforts across the city, including the first median tree plantings along Del Prado Boulevard in the 1980s, and was involved in the original development of Lake Kennedy Community Park.
Mickenzie Hannon is a watchdog reporter for The News-Press and Naples Daily News, covering Collier and Lee counties. Contact her at 239-435-3423 or mhannon@gannett.com.
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This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: New playgrounds debut. Which Cape Coral parks are open or closed?
Reporting by Mickenzie Hannon, Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News / Fort Myers News-Press
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