The Genesis of Veterans’ Community Park

Over the last year, the City of Marco Island has become engaged in two major projects to improve the city’s infrastructure. Like many projects, these infrastructure projects remained in the planning stages for decades, until such time as the city solicited bids and awarded contracts.

In this edition, we will look at one of these two projects, to provide an understanding of both the project’s history and current status. The second infrastructure project will be highlighted in the next edition of Coastal Breeze News.

Purchase of Glon Property

One of Marco Island’s oldest infrastructure projects is Veterans’ Community Park, located on land that was formerly known as the Glon Property. Shortly after Marco Island was incorporated, the city had an opportunity to purchase the Glon Property. By a referendum vote, Marco citizens chose to make the $10,000,000 acquisition of land, as they looked towards the island’s future.

The city’s purchase of the property made it one of the last remaining areas on the island that could be utilized for public gatherings, rather than commercial development.

Public Use of the Park

Following the removal of construction debris from the controversial Septic Tank Removal Program (STRP) and the upgrading to Collier Boulevard, citizens enjoyed the first true public use of the property at the annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony and Celebration. The Christmas Island Style Committee requested use of the newly grassed area for the Christmas Tree Lighting, when the popular event outgrew its original location at the Town Center Shopping Center.

Since that time, approximately 3,500 residents and guests gather at Veterans’ Community Park each year for the annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony and Celebration. Last year was an exception, however, because the event was cancelled due to COVID precautions. (This year, with construction underway in the park, the Annual Tree Lighting Celebration will be held at Mackle Park.)

The Christmas Island Style Committee also sponsors an annual Movie by the Tree event at Veterans’ Community Park. (This year the Movie by the Tree will be held at Mackle Park, the Christmas tree’s temporary location.)

The utilization of the area for the seasonal Farmers’ Market is another successful venture, which continues to grow and prosper at the park. Held every Wednesday from November through late April, it is also one of the more anticipated events during that time period.

The park has served as the setting of the Annual Seafood and Music Festival, a major event that has been held there for many years. This annual three-to-four-day event is sponsored by the island’s two Rotary Clubs and the Kiwanis Club as one of the major fundraisers to support their philanthropic efforts on the island.

Veterans’ Community Park has hosted several other events, such as fundraisers for the YMCA, the Sons and Daughters of Erin, various Arts and Crafts Fairs, as well city-sponsored concerts.

Veterans Memorial and Freedom Fountain

The local VFW created a fund drive which successfully created the park’s original Veterans’ Memorial. The memorial is located in an area of the park that was part of the original Master Plan, and on which the city expended $100,000 in 2008. The Veterans’ Memorial was dedicated on November 11, 2011, at the community’s Veterans’ Day gathering to thank its veterans for their service.

The American Legion Post (created after the local VFW Post was absorbed by a Post in Golden Gate) continues in that effort. As a result, the Freedom Fountain was erected, and other minor enhancements have been added over time.

Veterans’ Community Park has hosted the visiting Vietnam Memorial Wall on three separate occasions, drawing thousands of people to Marco Island to view the scale model of the same memorial that stands in Washington, D.C.

Revisiting the Original Plan

In 2018, after a new council was seated, they voted to spend an additional $100,000 to revisit the park’s original plan, created by Kimley-Horn. In 2019, City Council heard again from Kimley-Horn representative James Pankonin regarding the updated vision for the property, which had been purchased 20 years earlier. Surprisingly, the original vision, created a decade before, would essentially remain the same. In 2021, councilors voted to proceed with utilizing a “Construction Manager at Risk” process, hiring Manhattan Construction to oversee the project. Once again, the city contracted with Kimley-Horn to work in concert with Manhattan Construction to develop the project’s construction plans.

Earlier this fall, work began to prepare the site for the estimated one-year project to develop the park. It is anticipated that it will be ready late in the fall of 2022.

Project Costs

The cost of Manhattan Construction’s contract to serve as the Construction Manager at Risk is $11,183,647.00. An additional $713,700.00 has been paid for work done on the second Master Plan, plus the work to create build documents by Kimley-Horn. The 2008 Master Plan documents cost the city an additional $100,000 at the time they were created. That will amount to a cost just shy of $12,000,000 for the park, provided there are no unforeseen circumstances that arise.