Cape Coral residents react as Tropicana Park construction starts

Crews broke ground at Tropicana Park in Cape Coral on Monday, the first step toward the park’s future.

Some of the amenities will include water access points and walking paths.

The park is being built at the end of Tropicana Parkway West, just by old Burnt Store Road.

WINK News reporter Jolena Esperto went to Cape Coral to find out what people are excited about regarding the upgrades.

They want to have a place to bring their kids to play at the park, and really all that’s there now is marshland, grass and dirt on a beautiful waterfront.

That’s why the city wants to make the water more accessible for the people in northwest Cape Coral.

However, not everyone has been on board with the Tropicana Park and the Seven Islands project.

Some don’t want all the development, crowding and expenses that come with it.

Monday morning, the city of Cape Coral hosted a groundbreaking for people to celebrate the future of Tropicana Park.

Jason Thomasee just moved to Cape Coral and likes it so far, but wouldn’t mind a new park to go fishing.

“Catch those fish while they’re hanging around. Like I said, the mangroves are pretty important, so you don’t want to mess up their environment far, but otherwise, I don’t think that’s a bad thing,” said Thomasee.

Kevin Black is from the Northwest Cape Coral Neighborhood Association, which has worked with the city on the Tropicana Park project and also Seven Islands, which will include development on these islands, starting with Island 7 and the Old Burnt Store Road entrance.

It will include condos, apartments, waterfront restaurants, and a lagoon resort

“I came here in 2019, so we’ve been working since 2019 to get Tropicana Park developed, and it’s been a long haul,” Black explained. “And along the way, though, you know, we’ve asked the citizens what they wanted, the city has also allowed the citizens to have their input too in the amenities that they wanted.”

Yes, people in the Cape have asked for these amenities, but some are not happy about the price tag that comes with the development and the potential for traffic buildup and congestion.

Another person told WINK, “Too much change. We’re losing all the trees and everything, and they just keep tearing everything down and just adding more buildings and more buildings. And more buildings, and, you know, it’s just getting really overcrowded.”

“Have been some traffic issues, but, you know,” said Thomasee. “People still want to have a good time and have a place to go and hang out that’s safe. I don’t see anything wrong with it.”

Phase 1 of the Seven Islands project is scheduled to start sometime next year, that will start with the closest island just south of Tropicana Park.

It will include some parts of Burnt Store Road.

According to the city, Tropicana Park should be completed as early as one year.