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County to Hold Ribbon Cutting for Wa-Ke-Hatchee Rec Center
Jan 12, 2006 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Barbara Manzo, Lee County Parks & Recreation, 461-7412 COUNTY TO HOLD RIBBON-CUTTING CEREMONY JAN. 21 FOR WA-KE-HATCHEE REC CENTER FORT MYERS, Fla. (January 12, 2006) Lee County will hold a grand opening ceremony January 21 to celebrate its newest recreation center the 58,000-square-foot Wa-Ke-Hatchee Recreation Center south of Fort Myers. The facility is located next to Lexington Middle School (16760 Bass Road, southwest corner of Summerlin and Bass roads) on 63 acres, 50 of which will be developed into an adjoining community park. He will be joined by other commissioners and representatives of the Lee County School District. Being a Saturday event, the activities include: 1 p.m. Tours and Activities 2 p.m. Ribbon Cutting Ceremony 2:30 p.m. Refreshments 3-5 p.m. Tours and Activities Demonstrations throughout the day The ceremony is open to the public and area citizens are encouraged to attend the festivities. The center is a joint use facility with the School District. The county's share of the construction cost was $3.8 million (the county has exclusive use of 24,000 square feet with the full 58,000 available when not in use by the school). The county purchased the park land in 2002 for $2.63 million and the School District reimbursed $804,000 for the 15 acres it used for its school site. BACKGROUND: The Wa-Ke Hatchee Recreation Center and the Lexington Middle School are an innovative, cooperative venture between Lee County Board of County Commissioners and the School Board of Lee County. In an effort to assist the Lee County School District with the need for new schools, Lee County sold 15 acres to them for a new facility now known as Lexington Middle School, which opened in August of 2005. Most of Wa-Ke Hatchee is an independent recreation center that is open to the public throughout the day. The center's gymnasium is dividable and shared with Lexington Middle School during the school day and during school special events. During evenings and weekends the public can use the gymnasium and recreation center that will be staffed by Lee County Parks and Recreation employees. Other amenities in the recreation center include classrooms, meeting space, dance and aerobics rooms, weight room and locker and shower facilities. The Middle School uses there space in the building for Physical Education and Wellness classes, locker rooms, Band and Chorus. The recreation center got its name due to its proximity to Cow Slough, a protected natural habitat adjacent to the park. A slough is an area that is lower in elevation than the surrounding land and acts as a natural conveyance of fresh water. Wa-Ke-Hatchee literally means Cow River in the language of Southwest Florida's native people, the Calusa Indians. Cow Slough got its name because it is believed Florida's original cattle rancher, Jabob Summerlin, used the waterway as the last fresh water drinking supply for his cattle before they were shipped from Punta Rassa. The site was partially cleared in the 1970's for farming, which continued until the late 1980's. It was then used as pastured land through the 1990's. The 63+ acre site was purchased by Lee County in the early 2000's. The recreation center is just the beginning of the development of a 50 acre park. The property, just west of the school, will become a state of the art community park with a wet and dry playgrounds, dog park, tennis courts, pavilions, skate ramp, nature and exercising trail. Additionally, the park will include a disc golf course, recreational lake and be the new home for the South Fort Myers Little League. Construction of the parking lot is scheduled to begin in 2006. |