Honc Destruction has submitted the low bid to demolish City of Palms Park in Fort Myers. Company President David Mulicka, who's also an elected Lee County Commissioner, said its proposal allows up to six months to tear down the stadium and clear the surrounding fields on the 14-acre site.
Nine companies entered bids to demolish the park. The baseball stadium and surrounding fields were the spring training home for the Boston Red Sox in the 1990's and early 2000's.
The bids came from as far away as New York and North Carolina. Three of the nine bidders are located in Southwest Florida.
Honc bid $987,000 for the work - about $90,000 less than its closest competitor. Some bids came in at more than $2 million.
The City of Fort Myers administration confirms that it plans to ask the city council to award Honc the contract on April 6. Mulicka said Honc's proposal also would allow up to three months after demolition to level the site and plant grass to make it look nice.
"There is a personal pride to me in doing this properly," Mulicka said. "I have a lot of fond memories at the stadium. I have done a lot of work over the years for the city. Providing a blank slate on that site will be key to the future redevelopment of the Midtown area in the city."
The stadium is located just south of downtown Fort Myers, and the city already is gathering ideas for housing, sports complexes and businesses on the site.
The Red Sox left the park after spring training in 2011. The city then tried to attract other Major League Baseball teams to use the stadium, but did not have success.
Fort Myers more recently tried to attract a pro soccer team for the stadium. But those efforts also failed to reach an agreement. A few months ago the city council authorized proposals for bids to demolish the park.
Mike Walcher is a reporter with WGCU News. He also teaches Journalism at Florida Gulf Coast University. WGCU is your trusted source for news and information in Southwest Florida. We are a nonprofit public service, and your support is more critical than ever. Keep public media strong and donate now. Thank you.
