LAKE KENNEDY RACQUET CENTER

The Courts at Lake Kennedy Community Park

Lake Kennedy is a major recreational facility in Cape Coral, Florida, developed as part of the city’s voter-approved $60 million Parks and Recreation General Obligation (GO) Bond from 2018.

Project Overview and Features

• Location: Lake Kennedy Community Park (46-acre park in central Cape Coral), near the Sun Splash Family Waterpark entrance.
• Scope: A state-of-the-art racquet sports complex featuring:
• 32 pickleball courts
• 12 tennis courts
• Pro shop, concession stand, dining/event facilities, lighting for night play, and covered seating
• Purpose: Address growing demand for recreational amenities amid city expansion. It evolved from an initial smaller concept (part of a broader Parks Master Plan) into a larger “world-class” facility capable of hosting tournaments.
• Operator/Management: Managed by Sports Facility Company; rebranded as “The Courts Cape Coral.” It has been popular, with thousands of memberships sold and hosting professional events like the Carvana PPA Tour.

Timeline

• Master Plan (2016): Initial estimates for Lake Kennedy improvements around $2.9–5 million.
• GO Bond Approval (2018): Voters approved $60M for parks projects.
• Design/Planning: Scope expanded based on community input, pickleball/tennis pros, and design team recommendations (added courts, lighting, etc.).
• Bidding/Contract: Originally planned in phases; combined into one. Contract awarded January 2023 to Charles Perry Partners, Inc. for ~$10.7M construction (+5% contingency, totaling ~$11.2M awarded).
• Groundbreaking: March 2023.
• Completion: August 2024 (opened to public August 28, 2024).
• Delays: Approximately 4 years behind original schedule.

Expenses and Cost Overruns

The project is a notable example of budget challenges in the GO Bond program.

• Original/Initial Estimates:
• Master Plan: ~$2.9M–$5M.
• Early post-bond concept: Around $7M.
• Phase I bid estimate: $8.7M (before combining phases).
• Final/Current Budget: $12,366,517 (as of early 2025 audit data).
• 148% increase over the ~$5M original estimate referenced in audits (or significant overrun from the $7M figure).
• Contract + contingency started at ~$11.2M; grew with change orders and adjustments.
• Key Drivers of Increased Costs (per audit and city statements):
• Scope expansions from community/design input (more courts, lighting, covered seating, tournament capability).
• COVID-era inflation, supply chain issues, and construction cost increases.
• Planning process issues: Did not fully follow industry best practices for cost estimating and scheduling, leading to avoidable change orders.

City Perspective: Officials noted the enhancements created a larger, higher-value facility beneficial for residents and economic impact (tournaments, events), despite higher costs. Funding came from the GO Bond; the city has stated other projects were adjusted (e.g., Lake Meade and Tropicana Parks de-scoped from GO Bond) but overall promises are being met with reserved funds.

Audit Findings (April 2025 City Auditor Report No. 25-01)

• Construction complied with laws, regulations, and contracts.
• Issues Identified:
• Planning phase: Lacked best practices → budget/schedule overruns.
• Close-out phase: Missing formal close-out meeting and lessons-learned report.
• Recommendations focused on improving project management for future capital projects to avoid repeats.

This project highlights broader GO Bond challenges with overruns affecting the $60M allocation. Official sources include the City Auditor’s report, capecoral.gov parks pages, and recent budget docs.