June 25, 2010 - Community Garden Ribbon Cutting Ceremony at Southwest Florida Enterprise Center
Fort Myers, Fl. (June 23, 2010) – The Roots Heritage Garden, a Community Garden urban farming project planned and executed by the non-profit Cultural Heritage Center, will be officially opened in a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony at the Southwest Florida Enterprise Center (3903 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard, Fort Myers, FL 33916) on Friday, June 25, 2010, at 9:30 a.m.
The Roots Heritage Garden is an incubator business operated from the grounds of the Southwest Florida Enterprise Center (SWFEC), which will include a wildflower/butterfly garden for beautification of the Enterprise Center in addition to the community produce garden. When the harvest is ready, a farmers’ market will be located at the end of the SWFEC driveway where the locally-grown produce will be available for sale to the public.
According to Yvonne Hill, founder of the Cultural Heritage Center (CHC), the mission of the Roots Heritage Garden is to create learning environments to foster a sense of community, based upon the cultural understanding of different ethnic groups who showcase their diverse contributions to the region. She states that several initiatives will be promoted through the urban farm, including building participant self-esteem, making people feel good about their heritage, promoting a healthy lifestyle, and introducing training that could potentially lead to the development of low-cost starter businesses or employment in the agriculture, horticulture, and landscaping industries.
On February 24, 2010, the Fort Myers Community Redevelopment Board (CRA) voted to support the long-term project through its two divisions, the Southwest Florida Enterprise Center (SWFEC) and the Fort Myers Redevelopment Agency (FMRA). The Board voted that the Enterprise Center would lease the land to the non-profit group for an annual fee of $1.00; the Redevelopment Agency is funding the butterfly garden.
The goals of the Roots Heritage Garden fit in perfectly with the objectives of the Southwest Florida Enterprise Center. The SWFEC has provided many entrepreneurial enterprises with their first business home by giving them access to reasonably-priced commercial rental real estate for their new business.
For more information about the Community Garden Ribbon Cutting Ceremony, please call Yvonne Hill, Cultural Heritage Center, at (239) 464-9925.
About The Cultural Heritage Center
The Cultural Heritage Center (CHC) is a nonprofit organization founded by Yvonne Hill in 2007. CHC’s mission is to create cultural learning environments that foster a sense of community, build intercultural understanding of different ethnic groups, and showcase their diverse contributions to the development of Southwest Florida.
About the Southwest Florida Enterprise Center
The Southwest Florida Enterprise Center (SWFEC), formerly known as the Business Development Center, is a business incubator operated by the City of Fort Myers since 1988. Its mission is to be a learning laboratory for entrepreneurial enterprises and to provide assistance and support to entrepreneurs so they may realize the full potential of their enterprise and of themselves as business owners and managers. The SWFEC is located at 3903 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard, Fort Myers, FL 33916.
About the Fort Myers Redevelopment Agency
The Fort Myers Redevelopment Agency, formerly known as The Downtown Redevelopment Agency, was created in 1984 by the City of Fort Myers Florida to formulate a plan and strategy for the revitalization of the River District. The FMRA has continued to grow and redevelopment districts have been added throughout the city. Now, Fort Myers Redevelopment Agency oversees 14 different redevelopment districts within the Fort Myers city limits. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard District, divided into four subcategories, was established in 2000 for the purpose of commercial development. With the exception of the Lincoln Park neighborhood, the district boundaries generally include the commercial properties from Evans Avenue to the City limits. The Fort Myers City Council members sitting as the Community Redevelopment Agency, oversee the FMRA and its operations. The FMRA office is located at 1400 Jackson St. in the River District.
Media Contacts
Yvonne Hill, Cultural Heritage Center, (239) 464-9925.
