Jaycee

waterfront

park

Timeline

2022-2026

Location

Cape Coral, Florida

Type

Public

Size

11 Acres

Visioning Rooted in Experience

When we were tasked by the City of Cape Coral, in collaboration with our design team partners to re-envision Jaycee Park, CVD started with observation.

We went to the site at different times of day, in different conditions, experiencing the park, observing people (and their animals), activities, and vehicular movement patterns - gaining an embodied knowledge of the place.

We had meetings and discussions with the client to understand their goals for the site. Through field observation and collaboration, we developed a deep understanding of the park's existing character, ecological setting, and opportunities for transformation.

Amplifying the Program.

Our design builds upon the qualities that have long made Jaycee Park a beloved community destination while expanding opportunities for recreation, gathering, discovery and inclusion.

Existing loop walks, mature trees, playgrounds, and pavilions were preserved and strengthened, while new amenities—including a bandshell, waterfront dining, inclusive play spaces, and flexible gathering areas—create a more vibrant public waterfront.

Each intervention was designed not only to support recreation, but to deepen visitors' awareness of the site's unique relationship with the Caloosahatchee River.

Bringing People to the River

For decades, dense stands of invasive Australian Pine (Causarina sp.) formed a wall between the park and the Caloosahatchee. They obscured views and limited access to the shoreline.

The redesign removes these barriers and re-establishes the park's connection to the river.

A shaded pedestrian promenade traces the waterfront, its gently curving form revealing a sequence of changing views framed by native and climate-adapted plant communities.

The signature overlook extends beyond the shoreline, inviting visitors into the river landscape while making tidal processes, coastal vegetation, and the dynamic edge between land and water visible as part of the everyday park experience. Rather than treating the river as scenery, the landscape invites people to experience it as a living coastal system.