Estero planning board gets update on entertainment complex with 'aggressive' timeline
The Village of Estero's planned sports, food and entertainment complex is expected to open in December 2024 and has an "aggressive" timeline to get there.
Consultant Michael Comparato and project principal Chris Wright – both with Bonita Springs-based Vieste LLC –presented the Planning Zoning and Design Board on Nov. 14 with the latest updates and plans for the Village's 20-acre site off Williams Road near Estero High School.
Third entertainment venue?
Two entertainment partners have been chosen and were announced in July. Comparato said the consulting group is looking for a third. Chicken N Pickle and High 5 will develop two pads and work together on timing for opening and on planning, he said. The companies will then own the land, while the Village will retain ownership of all the common areas and parking.
"We've worked very, very carefully with them to make sure that what they were planning to do functioned well and satisfied their operational goals for each of the two pads that will be transferred to them as part of the process," Comparato said.
Legal agreements between the private developers and the Village are being negotiated now for ownership and function, Comparato said.
"There will be a public improvement agreement between the Village and each of the two developers, " he said, "then an additional common-area maintenance agreement for all those areas that will be shared by them and reimbursed to the Village."
Kansas City, Mo.-based Chicken N Pickle is a entertainment venue focused on pickleball with some ancillary entertainment uses such as yard games. The Estero location will have about 20 pickleball courts, Wright said.
"It also offers very high-end food and beverage, scratch-kitchen concepts for food and beverage as part of the entertainment concept," Comparato said.
High 5, based in Austin, Texas, is predominantly indoor bowling "with a very high-end miniature golf, outdoor miniature golf element," he said. "Again, having a scratch kitchen with food and beverage and very compatible uses between those two partners."
How will visitors get to the complex?
Board member Jim Wallace asked whether bowling and an arcade were appropriate uses for the area – a question that came up in July and consultants said they would know more in the future.
"I can tell you that High 5 entertainment, (making a $15 million to $18 million capital investment), are very confident in both markets for all the entertainment," Comparato said.
Visitors will enter the complex via Williams Road or via Coconut Point, Wright said. High 5 and Chicken N Pickle will be located on the property near Coconut Point. The third parcel is off Williams Road.
There will be access from both roads, Wright said. "And there might even be some considerations for a roundabout type application on Williams Road if everything works out."
Construction timeline
Construction should take about eight months after the developers are handed the pad-ready sites, Comparato said.
The consultants are working to have final agreements with the private developers in place by Nov. 31 and start clearing the land in January, Wright said. They are hoping for water permits by February or March. Development order approval and site development are expected to start in March or April.
"These are on the aggressive side for sure," Wright said. "So, you can see there is a fairly aggressive target opening date in December 2024."
"Our goal is to have both of them opening approximately the same time," Comparato said. "These two partners know each other very well. They collaborate in other areas in other states. They really like to work off of one another."
More: Village Council chooses two potential partners for Estero Entertainment District
This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Estero planning board gets update on entertainment complex, timeline
