Fort Myers Redevelopment Areas Project Updates (2024)

Fort Myers Community Redevelopment Agency

Since 1984, the CRA has been at the forefront of local redevelopment efforts occurring in the most blighted areas and spaces in the City of Palms.
Our team welcomes your feedback and continued support.
Feel free to email your questions and comments to us at
[emailprotected].

CRA Supported Projects

For questions or information about
these and other CRA-supported projects
call us at (239) 321-7100, or
email at [emailprotected]

Downtown Redevelopment Area Projects

First Street Apartments
Site Cleared for Foundation

The land has been cleared and large rocks removed in preparation to lay the foundation.

The developer for this dynamic residential project is ZP 362 Fort Myers Church LLC. First Street Apartments will make an inviting gateway into the Downtown core area. Located at the southwest corner of First and Fowler streets at 3466 First Street, this modern-design, 4-story multifamily apartment complex project features 274 units and 467 parking spaces. The apartment community will be built on the former location of the First United Methodist Church. Completion is planned for 2024.

Gardner’s Park Grove

Market Conditions Dictate Revised Commencement & Completion Dates

Fort Myers Land and Homes LLC, developer for Gardner’s Park Grove, has revised the project’s commencement and completion dates in response to market conditions. Construction on the housing project will now begin by June 2024, and be completed by January 2026.

The site permit has been pulled by the developer with the City of Fort Myers. The developer has a full set of construction plans signed and sealed. Fort Myers Land and Homes LLC has worked with the City of Fort Myers Engineering department concerning the dumpsters and the shell rock pathway is in in ADA compliance. Construction date delays are due to changes to water permitting due to area water pressure issues.

Gardner’s Park Grove is a 10-unit luxury multi-family complex, consisting of 10 detached, single-family homes. The project addresses people’s desire to live in the Downtown redevelopment area as homeowners. Young families will find these three-bedroom, approximately 2,330 sq. ft. houses will meet the needs of their growing family, as they will be built with a downstairs den which can be used as a fourth bedroom, a media room, or a work-from-home office space. There will be communal space with amenities between the homes, including a park, walking paths, barbeque area, community urban garden & yoga areas. Gardner’s Park Grove will infuse more residents into the Downtown market and create a new synergy in the neighborhood.

www.gardnersparkgrove.com

Hampton Inn by Hilton

March 28, 2022, Firmo Construction, LLC; HOS Management, developer)
Building Topped Off, Painted; Completion Date Extended

The building has been topped off (the roof is on) and it has been painted. Inspections for plumbing, electrical, mechanical and sprinkler have passed. The developer reports that they are preparing for drywall and the interior finishes in the next month. Site grading has started as well as progress on the dumpster enclosure and Porte Cochere.

While Developer HBH FTM Hotel, LLC, is confident that the hotel will be open by September, they have respectfully requested the extension to December 31, 2022, due to ongoing supply chain and labor issues. This is the third amendment to their development agreement.

This new Downtown hotel incorporates Hampton Inn’s prototype contemporary, confident design scheme that reflects modern, timeless décor. Hampton Inn is a four-story, 118-room hotel. It is located at 2017 McGregor Blvd. The general contractor and construction manager is Firmo Construction, LLC.

Hotel at 2300 First Street
Agreement Reassigned to
FTM Hotel LLC

Following the request of one of the equity sponsors, the project’s tax rebate agreement with the CRA was amended on September 22, 2021, to extend the start and completion dates by one year, and allow for a change in hotel brands. On December 2, 2021, the CRA Board of Commissioners approved an amendment to the development agreement, which was reassigned to FTM Hotel LLC, where David Fry is a 30% general partner. Following reassignment, the ownership group was moving forward with selecting a hotel brand and starting the design of the hotel.

The hotel at 2300 First Street will add 132 rooms to the Downtown core area, thereby strengthening the area’s convention capabilities by acting as overflow lodging complimenting the Luminary Hotel and adjacent Caloosa Sound Convention Center. The hotel will be located at 2300 First Street on the southeast corner of First and Jackson streets, across from the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center, in the Downtown redevelopment area. This eight-story, 77,000 sq. ft. hotel will add 132 rooms to the Downtown area. In a cooperative agreement with Luminary Hotel & Co., the hotel at 2300 First Street the developer will accommodate hotel guest “overflow” from large conventions held at Caloosa Sound Convention Center.

Design and detail work continues. FPL will soon begin burying electrical lines surrounding the site, which could take several months. On Monday, May 2, 2022, the Fort Myers City Council approved renaming the existing “Park of Palms” to “Vivas Palm Park” in honor of Fort Myers’ pioneering Vivas family, who lived on the property from 1866 to 1959.

Rebekah Barney, President of The Alzada Company, is the developer of The Irving Downtown, an eco-friendly rental community soon to be built on the adjoining lot south of the park at the corner of Lee and Bay Streets. This land was also part of the original tract settled by Joseph and Christiana Vivas, where they built their home and raised nine children. For nearly 100 years, there was at least one Vivas descendent living on the property, until the home was sold in 1959 and demolished soon after. The Alzada Company will be both funding and fundraising for the park improvements.
The Irving Downtown

Design Continues,
Power Lines to Go Underground,
Park Renamed

The Irving Downtown will be located in the heart of the River District, easily walkable to the Yacht Basin, restaurants, galleries, shopping, and entertainment.

www.irvingdowntown.com

Montage at Midtown
Plans Completed,
Permits Submitted,
October Groundbreaking

Montage at Midtown plans are 100% complete and were submitted for building permits in April. The developer expects to break ground in October 2022.

The developer, Catalyst Midtown Apartments, expects Montage at Midtown to be a catalyst for additional development in Midtown. The project is located at 2105/2129 Jackson Street, 2352/2374 Liberty Street, 2374 Union Street, and 2325 Victoria Avenue in the Midtown section of the Downtown redevelopment area. The 321-rental apartment complex will be built in two phases. Phase I entails a four-story apartment complex with a five-story amenity building and six-story, 585-space parking garage that will also provide parking for Phase II. Phase I commencement is planned for October 2022 and completion is set for 2024.

www.catalystcd.com

One
Extended: Construction Commencement, Finish Dates

ONE, a residential project located along the river in the Downtown redevelopment area, has been approved for extensions to their project schedule. Citing the ongoing worldwide issues in the supply chain, a backlog among engineers, architects, and other professionals, and delays on FDEP and HRS applications pertaining to increased water demand associated with the project, Developer Cedar River at Fort Myers LLC was approved for an adjusted start date of May 1, 2024, and a construction completion date of May 1, 2026. This is amendment #6 to the original development agreement.

The ONE Project is an exceptionally designed, high quality 21-story residential
development with 34 units located on 0.71 acre property with address of 2583 First Street.

www.oneftmyers.com

Palmera on the River
Construction Schedule, MBE Committment
Amended

The Fort Myers CRA Board of Commissioners approved an amendment to the tax increment rebate agreement with Developer Soho Sight, LLC, to extend the start and completion dates for Palmera by the River by six months. The amended development agreement extends the start construction to June 30, 2022, and to construction date by June 30, 2024. The project was also approved for a reduction of its Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) commitment to 7.5%, due to a lack of available MBEs.

Palmera on the River will be the first residential tower to be constructed along East First Street since the Beau Rivage, Riviera, and St. Tropez high rises were completed a dozen years ago. This urban infill project will be a 7-story concrete block multi-family community that will feature 221 apartments and a 334-space covered parking structure. The 2-acre vacant lot, located at the foot of northbound Edison Bridge, has been left undeveloped for several decades. Total cost of the project will be $56.6 million. When completed, the project is estimated add $36.6 million to the City of Fort Myers’ tax base. The Fort Myers CRA Board of Commissioners approved Palmera on the River for a tax increment rebate for $9.535 million.

sightdevelop.com/palmera

Prima Luce on the Waterfront

Foundation Piles Prepped for Construction

Foundation piles preparations are underway.

The Prima Luce on the Waterfront condominium development will replace an unsightly empty site along the Caloosahatchee River with a much-needed residences.

Prima Luce on the Waterfront, a two-tower, 22-story condominium development will provide needed housing along Downtown’s eastern end. The project is located along the Caloosahatchee River at 2631 First Street. Developer Prima Luce LLC is headed by Robert MacFarlane, CEO The CRA Board of Commissioners has approved the development for two scenarios concerning the total unit count: the complex will either contain 176 residential multi-family units with a $14,993,120 tax increment rebate, or 220 residential multi-family units for a $18,469,561 tax increment rebate.

www.primalucelife.com

Staybridge Suites

New Renderings Released, Walkability of Staybridge Suites will Boost Downtown Economy

New renderings of the hotel’s exterior views have been released. Due to its proximity within close walking distance of many Downtown restaurants, Staybridge Suites will not have an onsite restaurant. As a result, this will benefit local business owners as well as boost the City’s economy.

The hotel developer is HIDEV Group LLC. Staybridge Suites, a 100-suite hotel project located at 2465 Second Street, is planned for the Downtown redevelopment area. Staybridge Suites will be a five-story, limited-service, extended-stay facility with ample parking via 71 designated hotel spaces in a lot across the street. The hotel will feature studios and one-bedroom suites ranging in size from 401-662 square feet, and will include amenities such as kitchenettes, a pool, meeting space, and outside social amenity areas. The $18.5 million Staybridge Suites has been selected for a $3.3 million CRA tax increment rebate.

Triton Cay

Phase I Open, Occupied
Coming Next: Boardwalk, Phase II

The former Silver Hills at Fort Myers project is being marketed to potential residents as Triton Cay, On Phase 1, the South building is open and occupied and the North building is expected to open in 2-3 weeks. They expect to finish the boardwalk in June/July and jump into Phase II.

Developer Silver Hills Development has engaged DeAngelis Diamond to construct this unique riverfront residential project. Triton Cay’s facade pays homage to Fort Myers’ historic buildings by presenting its 2 large concrete buildings as several smaller mid-rise residences. Located at 2220 West First Street and 1901 Altamont Avenue, Triton Cay is two apartment buildings with 327 units. Phase I completion is set for 2022, and Phase II for 2024.

www.tritoncayfortmyers.com

February 22, 2022 Construction video (Courtesy of DeAngelis Diamond/Eagle Eyes UAS Drone Service)

Vantage Lofts

Construction Schedule Extended Six Months, Transfer to the Meyers Group

CRA Commissioners approved a six-month extension of the project schedule due to unforeseen hardships and delays, including ongoing delays from the pandemic and the impact of pending FEMA Map changes on the design and construction of the project. Construction will now start July 2023 and be completed by July 2025. In a third amendment to the development agreement, the agreement was transferred to the new owner of the Vantage Lofts project, the Meyers Group.

Vantage Lofts will bring much-needed housing and retail space to the Downtown River District.
Vantage Lofts, a 16-story loft style apartment development, will replace two older commercial buildings, a parking lot, and vacant land on 4 parcels of property. Its location is just west of the Caloosahatchee Bridge, between West First Street, Henley Place, Carson Street, and McGregor Boulevard. The Vantage Lofts program will provide 217 loft apartments with 5,000 square feet of retail space, including a 4-story parking garage with 300 parking spaces. In 2019, the project was approved for a TIF rebate of $11.4 million. It will bring young professionals to the Fort Myers area and promote new business growth once completed, thereby contributing directly to the revitalization of the Fort Myers River District.

www.meyersgroup.net/

West End at City Walk
Phase I Finished, Leased; Phase II in Design Phase
www.westendfortmyers.com

Phase I of the West End at City Walk apartment complex is finished and leased up. Phase II is in the design phase. Phase will include 60 more rental units, 16,000 square feet of retail and office space, and 5 for-sale townhomes.

Catalyst Asset Management, a committed public benefit corporation B Corp, develops projects that are socially responsible and environmentally sustainable. Their nonprofit offers several programs, including a minority developer mentorship program and revolving loan fund program.

West End at City Walk is a nearly $64 million apartment complex focused on walkability between its location in the Downtown redevelopment area’s western section and the Downtown.

Located along Fort Myers’ palm-lined McGregor Boulevard, West End at City Walk is an attractive mixed-use apartment complex replacing a deteriorated strip mall at 2250 McGregor Boulevard on this State-designated scenic, historic highway. The community gained 318 much-needed Class A residential units, 527 parking spaces, a 17,000 sq. ft. Amenity Center, and 5,500 sq. ft. of office space. It reflects both the area’s rich history and technological focus: original artwork and murals on building interiors and exteriors nod to the past, yet this is one of the first multifamily projects in the state to power its amenity building and common areas with solar panels. Phase I residences were completed in 2021.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.
Redevelopment Area Projects

McCollum Hall

On National Register of Historic Places

In Selection Process:
Request for Proposals

McCollum Hall was added to the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places on April 18, 2022. The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation’s historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America’s historic and archeological resources.

A selection committee consisting of CRA staff, City staff, one CRA Advisory Board member, and two community members, was convened to review the proposals submitted to the City’s Procurement Division, Edith Stiller, Senior Procurement Specialist, in response to the McCollum Hall Request for Proposals (RFP). Three firms submitted proposals and were invited to make presentations. On May 18, 2022, the committee ranked Goshen & Corner, LLC as #1, Launch Development, and LLC as #2, and McCollum Hall Redevelopment, LLC as #3. Criteria used for rankings included qualifications and experience of the firm, financial capacity of the firm, project approach, qualifications and experience of key personnel, and compliance with the City’s Minority Business Enterprise guidelines.

On May 25, 2022, the CRA Board of Commissioners requested at their monthly meeting that these three firms make their presentations directly to commissioners at a future meeting so that they could weigh the exact merits of each proposal before making a decision and signing an agreement with the firm that is chosen.

McCollum Hall was popular from the 1930s through the 1950s as a Chitlin’ Circuit venue where famous black entertainers such as Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Louis Armstrong, B.B. King, and others performed.

St. Peter Claver Place Apartments

Phase I: Significant Progress
Phase II: Construction Schedule Amended for Tax Credit

Developer National Development of America, Inc. has made significant progress on Phase I of the development, which contains 136 housing units.

In March 2022, the construction schedule on Phase II of the St. Peter Claver Place Apartments project was amended in order to obtain a tax credit award on that phase of the project. Assuming that the tax credit is awarded in 2022, Phase II is now scheduled to begin construction on September 15, 2024, and be completed on December 15, 2025.

St. Peter Claver Place Apartments, to be developed by National Development of America and the Diocese of Venice, is a 214-unit affordable-housing apartment complex to be built in two phases. Phase I will consist of 136 two-, three- and four-bedroom apartments in two- and three-story buildings, along with a community building. The complex will be built at 3681 Michigan Avenue. on a 17.44-acre site currently owned by the Diocese of Venice. It is located within the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. redevelopment area. Completion of Phase I is planned for December 2022, and completion of Phase II is planned for May 2024.

Seaboard Waterside Apartments

In Architectural Design Development Phase, Making Progress on Construction Documents

The team architect, Tyler Pederson of PDS Architecture, is preparing the
construction documents with plans to submit to the City. TDM, the civil
engineer, will also be submitting civil plans to the city for the site
construction permit this month. The demolition permits have been issued
and demolition is being scheduled with the contractor, HONC. In August 2021, the CRA Board of Commissioners approved an amendment to the development agreement to extend construction commencement by one year, due to delays associated with the COVID-19 pandemic’s effect on the construction industry. Construction is now set to begin in January 2023.

Seaboard Waterside Apartments will be the first project of its kind in the MLK redevelopment area. Developer Billy’s Creek Preserve LLC is building the residential project to provide needed housing, which will help to revitalize the east side of Fort Myers. Seaboard Waterside Apartments, a two-building, six-story, 420-rental apartment complex to be built at the corner of Michigan Avenue and Seaboard Street, was approved for a total CRA tax increment rebate of $11.48 million in July 2019. The project will be built in two phases. The development will have an attractive parking garage built in the center of the development between the two buildings. The CRA Board of Commissioners approved Phase I for a $7.145 million rebate, and Phase II for a $4.335 million rebate.

www.seaboardapartments.com

www.tgfortmyers.com

Towles Garden
Townhome Community

Project Construction Start & Finish Dates Revised

Towles Garden Townhome Community was granted a revised start date of March 25, 2022, and completion date of July 30, 2023.

Developer for the project is Towles Garden LLC, led by The Towles Garden Townhome Community will introduce a high-quality, affordable, socially- and economically-diverse residential homeownership community to the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. redevelopment area. Its workforce housing will allow buyers to build equity through homeownership.

The Towles Garden Townhome Community will be built on a 7.5-acre lot at the corner of Edison Avenue and Veronica S. Shoemaker Boulevard. Developer Towles Garden LLC, proposes a $28.7 million investment of 67 affordable and 73 attainable townhomes, to be priced at $200,005 and $210,123 respectively. Units will range in size from 900-1,250 sq. ft.

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The Fort Myers Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) is an agency of the City of Fort Myers. Office hours: M – F 7:30 PM – 4:30 PM | 1400 Jackson Street, Suite 102, Fort Myers, FL 33901
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