Lowdermilk Park's old playground stood on the north side of the park. It was destroyed when Hurricane Ian came through in 2022. Four years later the replacement is underway, but it won't go back where the old one was. The City of Naples has placed the new coastal-themed playground on the south end of the park, and its project page gives April 2027 as the expected finish.
A second long-delayed project is also moving this fall, at the Moorings' main interior intersection. The span-wire traffic signal at Harbour Drive and Crayton Road is set to become a one-lane roundabout, and the city's bid window for that work closes on October 22, 2026. Both projects stalled for years. Naples City Council made the decisions that freed both of them in 2026, and neither one restores what was there before.
What the City Ordered for the South End
The city's recreation projects page describes the new Lowdermilk playground as coastal-themed and lists these pieces:
- a multi-level lighthouse
- large climbing elements
- a new shelter
- shaded swings
The design and installation come from Playmore. The equipment has already been ordered, and the manufacturer is working through permitting.
The shelter has its own history. WINK News reported that a covered gazebo was originally part of a 2025 park improvement project. It was postponed after construction bids came in over the available budget. The current plan folds that gazebo into the playground contract, so the two are being built as one project.
How the Money Came Together in 2026
Council built the playground budget in steps over about four months, and each vote passed unanimously. The City Council's 2026 voting record shows the sequence:
| Date | Council action | Amount | Vote |
|---|---|---|---|
| March 4, 2026 | Accepted the Nommensen family donation as matching funds for the playground capital project already in the FY2025–26 budget | $250,000 donation matched to $250,000 already budgeted | 6–0 |
| June 17, 2026 | Approved the purchase-and-installation agreement with Playmore West | $699,787 | 6–0 |
| June 17, 2026 | Approved a supplemental appropriation from the Beach Fund | $250,000 | 6–0 |
| July 22, 2026 | Notice to Proceed issued | None | None |
WINK's account before the June vote describes the funding as a combination of two previously approved park enhancement projects plus the Nommensen family's $250,000. The Beach Fund money was added to the 2025–26 budget to cover the rest. In March the project was a $250,000 line item. By June the contract alone was close to $700,000, and the new shelter accounts for part of that increase.
What Lowdermilk Offers Until April
The city's beach access status page currently lists Lowdermilk Park as open. The city's Lowdermilk Park page lists these standing amenities:
- parking
- sand volleyball
- tables and benches
- restrooms and showers
- two gazebos available to rent
- ADA beach mats
- the Flip Flop Beach Grill concession
That same page still mentions "one children's playground." The old north-side playground was lost in 2022 and the new one is scheduled for spring, so that line doesn't reflect a play area open today. The city hasn't said whether the south-end work zone will be fenced. Families heading over with small children should check with Parks and Recreation before planning the visit around play equipment.
A smaller repair is also happening along the shoreline. The city is installing benches and replacing plaques that Ian damaged at its beach accesses, Lowdermilk Park included. Each installation follows the reconstruction schedule for its beach end.
The Other Long Wait, at Harbour and Crayton
The playground has been gone since 2022. The roundabout has been in planning for longer than that. The city's project page for the Harbour Drive and Crayton Road intersection says Council approved staff to design a roundabout in December 2017. The same page gives the reasoning. The current signal hangs from span wires, which doesn't meet Florida Department of Transportation standards for signalized intersections in the coastal zone, and FDOT had recommended an improvement project for several years. City staff cited crash data, FDOT standards, and high maintenance costs in making it a priority.
The plan replaces the signal with a modern one-lane roundabout. The city's description stresses multi-modal safety and enhanced landscaping. The project page also says the completed design plans "will be re-evaluated and modified before full construction." The final layout could still change from the drawings already on file.
The March 4, 2026 Council meeting cleared both projects. At that meeting Council accepted the Lowdermilk donation and also voted 6–0 to move the roundabout to final design. The roundabout vote added resilience and utility coordination to the scope, started the request-for-proposals process, and kept final approval of the construction contract with Council. In April, the Naples Daily News reported that a construction contract was expected to go before Council this fall.
What the Bid Documents Say About Timing
The city's RFP 26-025 lists a project budget of $1.6 million. Proposals are due Thursday, October 22, 2026, at 2 p.m. The scope covers roadway and roundabout construction, utility and stormwater work, lighting, removal of the existing signal, ADA sidewalks, and driveway reconstruction.
The construction terms in the bid package give the clearest picture of how long the work would take once it starts:
- Work begins only after the city issues a written Notice to Proceed.
- Substantial completion is due no later than 60 days after that.
- Full completion is due no later than 90 days after that.
- Missing those dates triggers daily liquidated damages tied to FDOT standard specifications.
An earlier Naples Press report predicted a summer start and a ten-month build. The current bid terms are much tighter than that. The city hasn't published a calendar start date. The schedule now depends on bids due October 22, a contract award that Council still has to approve, and a Notice to Proceed after that.
Moorings Presbyterian Church, at 791 Harbour Drive, sits on the same corridor. Its 44th Hyacinth Series continues with a four-piano concert on November 15 and organist Nathan Laube on December 6. Both concerts start at 4 p.m. and admission is free, according to the Naples Press. Both dates come before any roundabout construction could reasonably start, so the Harbour Drive approach to the church should look the same on those afternoons as it does now.
Two Dates for the Moorings Calendar
The roundabout bids are due October 22, 2026, and the city's current target for the Lowdermilk playground is April 2027. When the playground opens, the lighthouse will stand on the south end of the park. The north side, where the old playground was, isn't part of this project.
At Earls & Lappin, we track changes like these on the Moorings streets between Gulf Shore Boulevard North and Harbour Drive, because they shape daily life near the water. If you'd like to talk through what the playground and the roundabout mean for your stretch of the Moorings, our team is glad to hear from you.