Residents consider buying Hunters Run Golf Club
Now that developers have withdrawn a proposed change to Cape Coral Future Land Use Map that would have seen the historic Hunters Run Golf Club demolished to make way for apartment buildings, residents in the area want to make sure the property remains in as pristine condition as possible.
Now that the sale of the course has been cancelled, neighbors who live near the course are now looking into purchasing the 60-year-old club.
The neighbors want to buy the land and keep it as a golf course, saying that with a buildout of around 400,000 people, there won’t be enough green space saved up for people in the city to enjoy.
Charlie Pease, spokesperson for the community group Keep Our Parks & Rec, which is dedicated to preserving the natural beauty of the city, said they have been fighting the proposed apartment complex.
“We learned there was a pending contract with a developer contingent on a future land use amendment and zooming from parks and rec to multi-family,” Pease said. “We put forth an organized effort to do what was right for the city and maintain the parks and recreation land and not lose green space.
In April, developers backed out on a proposed land use change that would have allowed for 10 four-story apartment buildings, eliminating the 30-acre course that has been used for decades.
WB Property Group, based in New York, reportedly canceled the contract to purchase the property because of pressure put on by the neighbors and concern over possible lawsuits.
Now, there is a plan in place for residents who live near the golf course to keep it that way. The owners of the land and the residents are hoping to get a plan in place to possibly purchase the course.
“We can’t share a lot of details because there’s work to be done. We’re doing due diligence with some professionals to figure out where we can find that zone of agreement,” Pease said. “And come up with a contract we think would be financially viable.”
The group is also going to seek some additional outside investors who may want to have a stake in the golf course’s future.
Pease said he wasn’t going to negotiate a price through the media.
The course has remained open throughout. Though things have slowed down in the summer, Pease said the course is very busy during the season, and profitable.
Therefore, the intent is to buy the golf course and run it as such.
“We’re very optimistic. We think this is exactly where we wanted to be in keeping this a golf course in perpetuity,” Pease said. “We are very happy to know we and the owners of the golf course share the mutual interest of keeping it a golf course,” Pease said. “The owner has spent 22 years making this the course that it is. We would love nothing more than to come up with a mutual agreement.”
For more information on Keep Our Parks & Rec, go to keepourparksandrec.com