United Soccer Leagues sues Fort Myers over City of Palms Park bid process

Dan Glaun, Fort Myers News-Press
·2 min read

The runner-up bidder to redevelop City of Palms Park in Fort Myers has filed a lawsuit against the city, claiming the city broke its own rules when evaluating the proposals.

United Soccer Leagues came in second place in the bid competition behind winner Pitch Prime, which intends to bring an MLS Next Pro soccer team to the site. USL's plans included conducting a variety of soccer programs aimed at assorted age groups and abilities, in addition to other athletic activities.

The park has been underused and a financial drain since the Boston Red Sox relocated its spring training program to JetBlue Park in 2012. Fort Myers has pitched the park's redevelopment as a centerpiece of plans to revitalize the city's Midtown district.

USL is seeking an injunction to prevent the city from approving a contract with Pitch Prime until the lawsuit is decided. USL is asking the court to void the deal with Pitch Prime and award attorney's fees.

The Tampa-based United Soccer League operates Division III, Division II and developmental leagues across the U.S.

City of Palms Park in Fort Myers on Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2024. The City of Fort Myers is entertaining proposals on Thursday to bring in athletic teams to use the facility.
City of Palms Park in Fort Myers on Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2024. The City of Fort Myers is entertaining proposals on Thursday to bring in athletic teams to use the facility.

More: Council sticks with Midtown developer for soccer venue at Fort Myers' City of Palms Park

USL alleges that the city's bid evaluators violated the rules of the process by mis-scoring its bid. According to the lawsuit, evaluators were supposed to rate elements of the bids on a one-to-five scale, but wrongly gave parts of USL's bid zero points.

The suit quotes Mayor Kevin Anderson and members of the city council questioning the scoring during a public meeting.

"If you fail to recognize the criteria that was met and you put a zero, that's fraud," Anderson said, according to the lawsuit.

The suit also notes that on Feb. 20, City Manager Marty Lawing recommended throwing out all the proposals for the park and starting over with a new request for proposals But the council deadlocked when voting on Lawing's recommendation, and negotiations moved forward with Pitch Prime.

Lawing is scheduled to give an update on the city's negotiations with Pitch Prime during the city council's meeting on Monday.

This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Fort Myers sued over redevelopment of City of Palms Park