The Fort Myers Beach Library has been closed since Hurricane Ian hammered Fort Myers Beach on September 28, 2022. The library sustained extensive damage from the storm. The biggest battle has been repairs to the elevator which were recently completed allowing the facility to finally reopen.
A Grand Re-opening will be held on Sunday, March 16th from 10 am to 2 pm. The event will include 3 food trucks in the library parking lot, nonprofit organizations set up in the library garage and of course tours of the facility.
Beach Talk Radio will be there broadcasting live after our Sunday show with the Mayor.
The town also recently announced that the big picture Beach Talk Radio donated to the town on the one year anniversary of Hurricane Ian, which lists the names of residents who died in the storm, will be moved to the library. It is currently in the Town Council chambers at their temporary trailer location at Bay Oaks.
Mitch Pacyna, who died during Hurricane Ian, was a regular volunteer at the library welcoming people to the facility. The picture will be hung near where Mitch volunteered.
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Curious, is Wave of Vitality reopening on the 3rd floor? Miss that place!!
I live across the street from Library and our condo still doesn’t have a elevator. Many of condos don’t have them yet.
Here’s what I think is odd….isn’t it ironic that the ADA won’t let the library open due to lack of elevators, because there won’t be access for handicapped people….so they’re actually preventing all people from using the library!! So rather then let the able bodied use it while waiting for the elevators…..nobody can use it at all til the elevators are done. Red tape at it’s best
What are the usage stats for this library? Just about anything can be found on line and the AI bots can answer questions, well, better than any person/librarian. The biggest attraction here is after school programs and air conditioning for us seniors. The pool and the recreation center are the real priorities exercise instead of sedentary leaning/activities!!! This library was misguided from the beginning. Who would prioritize a library for the 75 kids at the school and a handful of people that do not have access to a computer or air conditioning! Yep, there goes our tax dollars…I assume there has been salary payment of the staff that were waiting for the elevators?
Lady, some people still read books, you know
There has been payment of staff during the closure because they’re were WORKING. It’s been a huge task to get the necessary repairs completed, then bring in the furniture and fixtures and move all the tens of thousands of materials (books, video, etc.) back to their proper places. For many months without an elevator those folks worked hauling materials up and down stairs to return them to their proper places. This opening would not be possible without the work of those staffers and library management and board.
The library should be converted to city administrative offices. This would be much better use of the building. Very few residents ever used the library before Hurricane Ian. Not sure that this large library is worth the tax revenues that it requires to operate.
Some of us still read books sir
Having been in the elevator business for the last 40 years, it makes no sense whatsoever for the elevator to be shut down for well over 2 years.
Elevator repair is certainly Ian has been difficult. Talk to condo owners who are still waiting for parts.
If the elevator is working, why do we have to wait another month? Open it up.
So pleased! Lee County Library on Bass and Gladiolus is great but nothing compares to this wonderfully decorated, beautiful library here on our island!
RIP Dr. Leroy Hommerding! Thank you for your vision for our beautiful library! You will always be remembered!
Dr. Leroy Hommerding was a real class act! I participated in the monthly book club discussions with him and it was always a pleasure hearing what he had to say!
One has to wonder how it’s possible that a “government” building built in the early 90’s according to hurricane codes could suffer enough damage to be closed for 2 1/2 years, especially considering it’s the “elevator” that kept it closed!! I’ve got a 3 story elevator in my home, it was up and running in January 2023 three months after IAN, the equipment is located at the top of the elevator on 3rd Floor, how is it possible it took two years to get an elevator fixed?something very wrong here!! But glad it’s back 🙂
Dan: The library is not a government building.
It may be semantics, but residents of FMB that pay property taxes have a line item they pay in for the operation of the library. The library board is either elected or appointed by the governor. Sounds kind of governmenty to me. I believe a referendum was voted on at its inception. Just sayin’ Ed.
Our condo elevators were extremely challenged/damaged. The fifth and final one came up finally this month!
Dan, if you’ve been to our library you may know that there is a huge elevator, about the size of some rooms in a condo, on the ground floor. There were significant issues obtaining parts and then some installation issues. This is the only way to get to the 3rd floor and ADA regulation dictates that everyone must be able to navigate the entire building. Without ADA approval, library could not open. If you haven’t been to our library, I suggest you visit the re-opening on 3/16 and take a ride in that huge elevator.
lol. So 2.5 years to fix an elevator, because it’s a big elevator?
Realize it took just 6 months more to build the entire Sears Tower complete with 104 elevators including 16 double decker elevators. Must be some elevator you got there…..
They probably didn’t have problems getting parts for elevators back in 1970.
Obviously, you’re not familiar with the obstacles condo owners and buildings with elevators have encountered after IAN.
Do you have any idea how many condos on FMB still do not have operating elevators?
I agree. I actually thought it would be enough for the town hall as well as the school for the small group of kids that attended. Before the storm we had 50 kids and now we somehow have 75? Where did they come from since no one is moving to the beach. I had seen there were 10 teachers for the kids that we pay for. Wow! Then we pay for a gigantic library for the few people that still read books like Pete.
Everything on FMB is at a snails pace. Everyone keeps saying “these things take time” or “have you seen Sanibel” Everything is taking so long because it is being allowed to take this long. We have a town council focused on other things and not the things that would make our island at least look better.
Always interesting to hear someone who doesn’t really know what they are talking about! If only he could be involved in trying to get the elevator replaced/repaired, he would then understand how the world works after such a disaster as Hurricane Ian. Get a life, dude!
The Library was built with donations not tax dollars.you must be new to the island.
It will be a GRAND reopening! Can’t wait. Lots of great surprises. Mark your calendars now. Stay tuned for future announcements.
It will be wonderful having our beach library open again, another step in our island recovery ❤️🩹.
The painting is a beautiful tribute to those islanders that we have lost.