Developer files intent to protest against City of Palms Park development

Reporter: Claire Galt Writer: Matias Abril
Published: Updated:

The City of Fort Myers picked a company to reinvent a piece of land many call an eyesore. Now, the firm that finished second is fighting back.

Scythe LLC won the right to redevelop the land where City of Palms Park sits.

The city showed off the plans to turn the stadium into the epicenter for a new Major League Soccer team, a food truck park, an ice rink and more.

Now, WINK News has learned exclusively that a losing bidder has filed an intent to protest the decision.

A one-page notice said the United Soccer League protested the “scoring” of the bids.

That’s the method Fort Myers City Council members used to choose the winning firm tasked with redeveloping City of Palms Park.

Late Wednesday, the city attorney said that Fort Myers will hold a public meeting to begin the process of responding to the protest.

“I believe you failed the people of this city. Right is right, even when people aren’t, and wrong is wrong,” said Mayor Kevin Anderson.

The usually cool and collected Fort Myers City Council got heated over how Councilman Liston Bochette voted on who would take over the lease for the City of Palms Park.

At their meeting earlier in January, four companies pitched their plans. The council was tasked with ranking the groups using a point system.

“I’m not afraid of anybody,” Bochette said. “I voted for what I felt absolutely, unquestionably was the best.”

The group that came in second, the United Soccer League, refused to accept the results.

WINK obtained a notice of intent to file a protest against USL’s attorneys sent to the City of Fort Myers.

The one-page notice cites “scoring” as a reason for its protest and concludes by saying, “This bid protest includes the denial of due process.”

City attorney Grant Alley said protests like this one are not unusual when big projects and big money are on the line.

Alley was asked if he was concerned about this. He said that he was excited.

Alley made it clear: just because a company wants to protest how the city made its choice does not mean anyone on the council did anything wrong.

At the very least, USL will make sure the city’s plan will be no walk in the park.

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