Lakes Park in Fort Myers Remodels "The Nest" with Tile

Lakes Park in Fort Myers has remodeled "The Nest" with tile, transforming the look and feel of this volunteer lounge and retreat. Here's the story of how the park remodels with tile.

It starts with some background perspective, followed by an interview with Senior Program Specialist Andrew Payne, Lee County Parks & Recreation and a description of the tile selections Michele Hoover, VP of Operations and General Manager of the Fort Myers Tile Outlets store recommended for the volunteer nest.

Background on the Lakes Park #TileRemodel Project

Lakes Regional Park in Fort Myers, Florida, transformed an old office building into the new volunteer lounge and Park Ambassador information desk.

The volunteer lounge gives Lakes Park volunteers a much needed comfortable, air conditioned space to take a break from their outside work. The volunteer lounge is also home to the Park Ambassadors who provide the public with information about the park and surrounding areas.

Lee County Parks & Recreation Program Specialist Describes Lakes Park, the Nest, and Remodeling it with Tile

TOA: Andrew, tell us about the Lee County Park and Recreations system.

AP: Lee County Parks & Recreation has 250 positions, a $33 million budget and more than 31,500 acres of parks, preserves, facilities and other sites.

The department oversees four recreation centers, 10 community centers, community parks, Conservation 20/20 lands, greenways, the Calusa Blueway Paddling Trail, four year-round pools, seven boat ramps, sports complexes including the Boston Red Sox and Minnesota Twins spring training facilities, dog-friendly facilities and pristine Gulf of Mexico beach parks.

TOA: What is your role at Lakes Park?

AP: I coordinate the volunteer programs at Lakes Park.

TOA: What makes Lakes Park special? What’s your favorite spot there?

AP: The people and natural spaces make the park special; it is commonly referred to as the “central park” of Fort Myers.

My family frequents the garden and train areas.

TOA: We love the term “volunteer nest.” How did the name come about?

AP: When we were first introduced the idea of a volunteer center, we asked the volunteers what they thought would be a good name. One of our newest volunteers at that time, Bill Price, came up with the “nest.” We tested it out and it stuck.

The public will know it as the Public Info Center but the volunteers love having their very own “nest.”

TOA: What was involved in the remodel from a Park perspective?

AP: We really wanted a welcoming spot for our volunteers to call their own.

We reached out to the community for material support, but the labor was a combined effort from several staff members.

TOA: What is your reaction to the remodel and the tile in particular?

AP: The nest feels like a completely different building. The recommendations made, and material provided, give the building a warm, welcoming feeling.

TOA: What is the Park Ambassador Program?

AP: The Park Ambassador Program is a broad term that encompasses every volunteer in the park.

We are a team of park ambassadors working to make the park an even better place through many different roles.

TOA: How many volunteers are there and what do they do?

AP: We have 280 volunteers on our roster who give countless hours per week.

Our main programs include the EZ Rider Program, Community and Fragrance Garden, Train Village and Railroad Museum, Park Information Building and the Lakes Park Enrichment Foundation.

TOA: How can readers volunteer?

AP: If you are interested in volunteering at Lakes Park, please contact Andrew Payne at apayne@leegov.com. You may also find out more information about volunteering with Lakes Park on our website: https://www.leegov.com/parks/volunteers

TOA: How can readers sign up for regular communications from Lakes Park?

AP: The best place to get up to date information about Lakes Regional Park is by visiting the website at www.leeparks.org.

TOA: Thank you, Andrew!

Tile Product Recommendations for the Nest #TileRemodel

Michele Hoover describes the products chosen for the Lakes Park Nest and why she recommended them:

We donated Marina Walnut 6x24 porcelain plank to this project. We felt this wood look tile would not only be beautiful but that it would also be easy to maintain and keep clean as the volunteers go from the grassy and sandy areas of the park to their lounge area. The porcelain plank will withstand the traffic in and out of the volunteer center and not show signs of wear.

When Andrew first contacted us, he said they were looking at laminate for this project. A laminate wouldn’t have done well in an area with this much traffic and with the constant exposure of wet and/or dirty feet and sand going across it.

However, we agreed that a wood look would lend itself well to this beautiful park. We wanted to select a color that wouldn’t be too dark as the area is fairly small but that would also camouflage dirt in between cleanings.

Marina Walnut 6x24 porcelain plank

After selecting the floor tile we moved on to find a wall tile that would coordinate with the plank for the restroom walls. We selected Augusta Grey Matte 10x16. It complements the colors in the floor well and will add some light and brighten up the small restroom inside the lounge. (Also see Matte and Shiny Ceramic Wall Tile With Matching Porcelain Floor Tile: Augusta and Vermont.)

Of course no wall is complete without some accents so we added a Slate and Glass linear mosaic that was cut into 6 inch linear strips to top the wall tile before we added the bullnose trim.

Lakes Park is a beautiful park that many of us visit often. We wanted to make sure the volunteers who help maintain this wonderful part of our local community have a tranquil and soothing area where they can take their breaks.

We hope you will visit the Volunteer Nest at Lakes Park and let us know what you think of the tile and how it has transformed the vibe of the space.

Also check out Kick Scooting in Lakes Park, Ft. Myers, FL for additional perspective on enjoying the park.