City to close on U.S. 301 property

The city is scheduled to close on three parcels of land on U.S. 301 that were originally supposed to be home to the Boston Red Sox.

The 1.2 acres will cost the city $4.7 million. The county originally purchased the land, with the agreement that the city would reimburse the county. Both governments were hoping to build a spring-training stadium there for the Red Sox.

But now, the Red Sox decided to stay in Fort Myers, leaving the city with property on which a veterinary office and former strip club sit.

The City Commission will consider at its July 6 meeting a proposal to lease the veterinary office back to the veterinarian.

What happens to the rest of the land has yet to be decided.

Contact Robin Roy at [email protected].