After numerous delays due to annoying hurricanes and equipment malfunctions, the Fort Myers Beach renourishment project is complete. Every Saturday morning for the last year we showed you how magnificent the wider beach looks and now it is ready for the 2025-2026 season for everyone to enjoy.
Nearly every inch of the 7 mile island received new sand from the $22 million project that began in July of 2024. Approximately 950,000 cubic yards of sand was dredged from the Gulf and placed onto Fort Myers Beach using bi pipes and pumping machines to keep the sand flowing south down the beach.
It’s hard to believe anyone on the island is happier than the residents and visitors at
Leonardo Arms on the south end. Their property was very badly damaged by Hurricane Ian with water that was nearly on top of one of the buildings even before the storm came through. As the project hopped back-and-forth from one end to the other to avoid bird nesting season and near their buildings it seemed like new sand would never arrive. When it did, it was a sight for several hundred sets of sore eyes. They now have hundreds of feet of new beach that should protect them from future storms.
Mike Albanese owns a unit in Leonardo Arms. “The beach renourishment project has been a life saver for Leonardo Arms, specifically building 2. Hopefully this will protect us from further storms of smaller magnitude. I understand a category 4/5 is devastating, but smaller storms shouldn’t be, and with this sand we are hopeful that we can remain open with minimal damage when smaller storms pass by. Either way it’s a great lifeline.”
Matt Houser also owns in Leonardo Arms. “All of us at Leonardo Arms are so grateful for the beach, nourishment project, not just only for the protection, but also for the beautiful expanded beach. Also, we are so grateful to Chad (Fort Myers Beach Marine Operations Project Manager Chad Chustz), for his consistent updates on the project. Thank you to everyone involved.”
Fort Myers Beach Town Manager Will McKannay said completing the beach renourishment project marks a major milestone in the town’s recovery and resilience as a community. “This project not only restores our shoreline for residents and visitors to enjoy, but it also strengthens our natural defenses against storms and coastal erosion. I want to thank our partners at the state, county, and federal levels, as well as our residents, for their patience and support throughout this process. Together, we’re building a stronger, safer, and more beautiful Fort Myers Beach”
Vice Mayor Jim Atterholt is also very happy with the way the beach renourishment project turned out for island residents and visitors. “The post-Hurricane Ian beach renourishment project has been transformational for our island. Well over $50 million dollars of federal, state, county and local tax dollars has been invested to make Fort Myers Beach once again one of the best beaches in America. One can now walk the entire length of our seven mile island beach no matter if it is high tide or low tide—it is simply spectacular.”
With this $22 million beach renourishment project complete, on top of the previous truck-haul sand replacement project, Fort Myers Beach is now home to over $50 million worth of new sand (1.3 million yards). The $22 Million beach renourishment project was funded through multiple sources: Lee County, The Florida Department of Environmental Protection, FEMA and the town.
Up next is the planting of dune vegetation which acts as a buffer to keep sand from blowing off the beach during storms. The vegetation is also covered by the $22 million. You may recall THIS WALKAROUND we did back in June at Vacation Villas (next to The Pink Shell) where the vegetation behind the building prevented a lot of damage by Ian and could have saved their building.
From my experience renting a condo on Coco Beach is that it is/was illegal to just walk on the plants on the Dunes, there was designated paths to walk over/through. Am assuming this is Florida Law. By bringing this up I feel this needs to be researched and publicized, if this is the case signage may also be needed. The plants need to be dealt with carefully as I believe they are to spread above with greenage and below with roots to hold the soil. Walking on them won’t be good for their health.
Why was there no beach replenishment done at Big Carlos pass and he approached to the island from the south end is pretty ugly
Been comming to Estero Beach and tennis club for 20 years. 20 years ago we had no beach! For the last 10 years we have had a great beach, before and after Ian. It went to hell when Leonardo Arms erected a tall concrete wall that directed the incoming tide to the condos to the north. Who ever authorized this should be relieved of their duties, huge f–kup! Now they call it a beach “refurbishment”! Sounds so nice! Our condo is now 100 yards farther from the water! We NEVER had a problem before Ian or before the Leonardo Arms Wall. This a an example of Government incompetence and a huge waste of taxpayer dollars !!! And now local government claims they saved us. PLEASE do NOT help us anymore!!!
Really wish the keyboard critics would have the _____ to comment using their real names. Probably not full time beach residents. Just people who like to bitch and complain. This is paradise that 99% of people would love to have.
Poor quality sand was put on the north end of the beach. Big chunky sand with lots of shell. Not like the original quality. I wonder if this effects the turtle nesting
They never halted the project during turtle season. The lights on the machine were shinning brightly at night. Why then do we have to halt the pier building during turtle season?
All to be washed back into the ocean with the next hurricane 🤷🏼♂️
When they take down the old “Big Carlos Pass” why not make a breakwater
in front of Fort Myers Beach.
Well because that would make sense. Instead someone will be paid tens of thousands to load the stuff in trucks and haul it away. Probably a sand dollar or fish or rare sand that some idiot environmental person would say it is harming.
Some people are never happy.
Maybe if we build a wall like on the highway all around the island he’ll be happy.
With all the concrete debris that was taken from the island, maybe they could have build like an artificial reef 300’ feet from shore to break the wave action and build like some sort of marine life but more important that would really slow down tremendously beach erosion, I know everything cost money but it would have saved on hauling concrete away and also dumping it somewhere else.
Probably the marine and wild life people or agencies would make all kinds of hoops and studies before that could be done. THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE CONCRETE DEBRIS IS GONE AND HURRICANE SEASON THERE IS ONE EVERY YEAR.
Did I miss something? When was the old bridge torn down? How are we to exit the south end of the Island now?
You did miss something.
What happened to building it back up 6 feet? It’s so low that one good storm will wash it away. There’s a lot of sitting water now after the last king tide. So disappointed with this job. No more soft sand and not what we paid for.
What you paid for? Give me a break FEMA paid a ton of this. Not even residents
Go take a nap and wake up in a better mood. Don’t be a crabass.
Post your name or stop complaining.