Over two Fridays, Wheeler Road Community Park goes back to being the island's Friday morning gathering place. Lee County holds a public ribbon cutting at 11 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 13, at 305 Wheeler Road, with brief remarks from Lee County Commissioners and other officials. A week later, on Friday, Nov. 20, the Boca Grande Farmers Market returns to the park after two seasons at The Bayou near the Pink Elephant.
The renovation behind those events was a $1.7 million project, and it took nothing away. Both tennis courts are still there. The dog park is still behind its fence. The market comes back to a park with new pickleball courts, more parking, more shade, new lighting and an extra restroom. It has taken three disrupted years to get here.
Three Years of the Park Being Used for Something Else
The park has not been in ordinary use for some time. The Boca Grande Dog Park was set to open in November 2023, after a delay caused by the site being used for Hurricane Ian debris. Then Lee County used Wheeler Road for Hurricane Milton recovery work. The dog park, courts and restrooms reopened in February 2025, once the county's Milton operations moved out, according to the Boca Beacon.
Construction started a few months after that. The Beacon reported that the court project was slated to begin Sept. 2, 2025, with completion expected in spring 2026, weather permitting. In mid-May 2026 the county still expected to finish in May. The courts opened on June 22.
That means the Nov. 13 ceremony marks work that has been finished since summer. It is also the first season in years when the market can return to a park that has no debris operation, recovery staging or court construction going on.
The Court Debate Ended With Both Sides Getting Courts
The finished layout came out of a public debate over the plan. In January 2024 the Boca Beacon reported on a proposal to remove one tennis court to make room for four pickleball courts, and on the resident pushback that followed. By August 2024 the county had revised the concept. The new plan kept both tennis courts and added three pickleball courts.
The revised plan is what got built. The county's October 2026 description says the project replaced two deteriorating tennis courts with two new tennis courts and added three new pickleball courts. So the island kept its full tennis count, and pickleball players got their own courts.
The contract came to $1,708,472.83, paid from Lee County Community Park Impact Fees. Stultz, Inc. was the contractor, and AIM Engineering & Surveying, Inc. handled design, engineering and construction administration, according to the Beacon's May 2025 report.
What Is at 305 Wheeler Road Now
The county's October 2026 announcement lists the courts alongside a longer set of site improvements.
| Feature | Before the project | After the project |
|---|---|---|
| Tennis | Two deteriorating courts | Two new courts |
| Pickleball | None on site | Three new courts |
| Dog park | Fenced area with shade structures | Same fenced area, shade structures repainted |
| Restrooms | Existing facility | Additional restroom facility added |
| Site | Existing parking and paths | New parking spaces, sidewalks, fencing, lighting and shade structures |
| Safety | None listed | Emergency Response cabinet with an Avive AED and a Stop the Bleed kit, installed in August |
The AED cabinet came from Lee County Public Safety, working with Parks & Recreation. The county says Lee County EMS responds to 20 to 30 cardiac-related calls at park locations each year, and that it has placed 81 AEDs at Parks & Recreation facilities countywide. Wheeler Road's cabinet is one of them, on courts where play runs through the morning.
Parking, Restrooms and Shade on Market Day
On Nov. 20 the extra parking, sidewalks, restroom and shade structures stop being a line in a county list. The market will set up in the Wheeler Park field across from the Boca Grande Ball Field, with parking available on site. The county also notes that parking is free at Wheeler Road Community Park. Anyone planning stops elsewhere on the island the same day should check the county's Boca Grande parking information first.
The Friday mix this season includes tennis and pickleball players, dog owners and market shoppers, all at one address. The new sidewalks, the added restroom and the shade structures give that crowd more room than the park had when the market last set up there in spring 2024.
The Market's Second Run at Wheeler Road
Local Roots, LLC organizes the market. Its Boca Grande Farmers Market page lists the season as Fridays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Nov. 20 through April. The Boca Beacon identifies it as the 2026–27 season. Jean Baer and Betsy Ventura are the contacts on the vendor application.
The listing covers produce, seafood, cheese, pickles, orchids, cut flowers, native plants, prepared foods, soaps, candles, smoothies, organics and meats. Vendors on this season's roster include:
- Dynasty Guacamole
- Mr. Fun Guy
- Love For Honey
- The Shrimp Man
- The Kingdom Bowl
- Dusty's Produce
- Jimmy's Java
There is a new regular this year. The Johann Fust Community Library now has a Book Bike, donated by the Triad Foundation and run with the Johann Fust Library Foundation. It brings books, library card sign-ups, simple crafts and mobile tech to the bike path, community events and the farmers market. Last season, Barrier Island Parks Society also listed a Port Boca Grande Lighthouse & Museum Pop-Up Store among the market's features.
The Fridays Ahead, and the Days Around Them
The park anchors a busy few weeks on the island calendar. The Wheeler Road renovation was one of several projects in the county's announcement. Others were the repaired Crowninshield House, which is now home to the Historical Society after its move from the Teacherage House, and new boulders and a repaired turnaround on Belcher Road.
- Friday, Nov. 13, 11 a.m.: Ribbon cutting at Wheeler Road Community Park. Lee County will livestream it on its YouTube and Facebook channels.
- Tuesday, Nov. 17: A Roger's Picks lecture in the Friends of Boca Grande season.
- Thursday, Nov. 19, 10 a.m.: "Leave Your Mark: Celebrating the Progress of the New Theater!" at Friends Pavilion, Boca Grande Community Center, 131 First St. The event includes a Beam Signing Ceremony.
- Friday, Nov. 20, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.: First market of the season at 305 Wheeler Road.
- Friday and Saturday, Dec. 11 and 12: The Grande Chorus performs in the Friends season.
- Friday, Dec. 25: No market on Christmas.
- Monday, Dec. 28: Make-up market, the only time this season the market runs on a day other than Friday.
Local Roots notes that its schedule can change. Check its page before the holiday weeks.
Boca Grande's parks, courts and Friday markets are part of the island that the Steffan•Sieglaff Team watches closely, because they shape daily life here as much as any home does. If you are thinking ahead about your own place on the island and want to know how it compares in today's market, we would be glad to start with a simple question: how much is your home worth?
