Bonita Springs neighbors protest demolition of historic Wonder Gardens building

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Families upset they weren't told about the demolition of a historic building in Bonita Springs are fighting back, organizing a protest to keep the old Everglades Wonder Gardens restaurant.
A sign outside the old Everglades Wonder Gardens restaurant in Bonita Beach. Credit: WINK News

Families are upset because they say they weren’t told about the demolition of a historic building in Bonita Springs. They’re fighting back by organizing a protest to keep the old Everglades Wonder Gardens restaurant.

The building is more than 70 years old, and you can probably tell just by looking at it. But neighbors tell WINK News it’s a place that helped put Bonita Springs on the map. It means so much to them that they’re begging city leaders not to demolish it.

Families upset they weren't told about the demolition of a historic building in Bonita Springs are fighting back, organizing a protest to keep the old Everglades Wonder Gardens restaurant.
A sign outside the old Everglades Wonder Gardens restaurant in Bonita Beach. Credit: WINK News

The Bonita Springs City Council voted unanimously on May 4 to tear the building down. The decision was based on the high renovation cost: In 2019, the repair cost was estimated at around $100,000.

Charlie Strader, former president of the Bonita Springs Historical Society, says taxpayers would have liked a say in what happened to this historic building and that many were not aware of the council’s quick decision to demolish it. Although Bonita Springs has a history of tearing down buildings of significance, neighbors are upset they had no chance to give their input.

“It stunned many people, including the city’s own historic preservation board, who, once they found out, were dismayed, confused and upset and voted, you know, not to have it torn down, or at least [to] make their wishes known,” Strader said. “We’re losing these things one by one, and every one hurts a little bit, to those of us that care.”

WINK reached out to city leaders for comment, and the communications director for Bonita Springs says the city will need to apply for a certificate of appropriateness before the old Everglades Wonder Gardens restaurant can be demolished. This will go before the Bonita Springs Historic Preservation Board at its next meeting, scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on July 28 at Bonita Springs City Hall, located at 9101 Bonita Beach Road SE.

Strader says the Everglades Wonder Gardens restaurant is a place where neighbors have memories several decades old, however high the renovation cost may be.

“I think it’s part of what you would call the fabric or landscape of the historic Bonita Springs; it contributes to our small-town charm,” Strader said. “We hopefully live in a democracy. But if you don’t ask or let people vote, either through polling or survey, well, you suffer the consequences. And that’s what has many of us concerned.”

A protest against the demolition began on the sidewalk outside the old Wonder Gardens building at 8 a.m.

The first protestors to show up outside the old Everglades Wonder Gardens restaurant, Tuesday, July 19, 2022. Credit: WINK News

David Rahahe•ti Webb, president and CEO of Everglades Wonder Gardens, offered the following statement:

“The Wonder Gardens supports the recent decision by Bonita Springs City Council to demolish the old Wonder Gardens Restaurant building. The entirety of the Wonder Gardens is a designated historic site by the City of Bonita Springs; however, the restaurant building is realistically beyond repair.

“We would love to see historic groups and the public take interest in helping with the protection and restoration of viable areas of historic significance at the Wonder Gardens. We are a small nonprofit and do not receive any funding from federal, state, county, or city government. The Wonder Gardens has been solely responsible for all maintenance and upkeep of our grounds and buildings, and now we must undertake an expensive major overhaul to meet today’s ADA regulations and codes. We have also faced much opposition along the way. We want the Wonder Gardens to endure for another 86 years, and we need your support!”

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