Continental Hospitality Group took a lot of grief for not cleaning up their property at 2316/2320 Estero Boulevard, but in the end they received unanimous approval for their new 6-story 148-unit resort. The project now moves onto the Fort Myers Beach Town Council for the first of two public hearings, on December 2nd.
Continental Hospitality Group’s Adam Valente told the LPA the reason the building has not yet been demolished has to do with their current bank. The lender did not want them tearing down the building without knowing what the future of the property would be. Of course that had nothing to do with how the property was maintained. LPA member Jane Plummer said there were homeless people living in the building, wires hanging out of the rooms and the pool was filled with old water and unsecured. LPA Chair Anita Cereceda said the building was the most complained about building on Fort Myers Beach. “The condition that building has been in is pretty insulting”
Valente said he expects to have permission from the bank by Thanksgiving to demo the building and it should be down some time in the first quarter of 2025
If approved by the Town Council the new Neptune Resort will have 148 units and a restaurant and tiki bar open to the public on the beach. The 148 units was 8 more than originally requested. Valeneti said the reality is, “We have a $15 million insurance hole we need to fill.” He also mentioned the increased construction costs and borrowing costs as a factor to make the bigger ask from the town.
The original Neptune, which The Continental Hospitality Group purchased one year before Hurricane Ian, had 71 units and no restaurant.
The new resort would be 4 stories of hotel space over 2 levels of parking. The original building was 2-3 stories.
The height of the building will be 51 feet from base flood elevation. The proposed development will be a total of 129,925 square feet. There are two access points on Estero Blvd and one point of only egress from Delmar. The proposal includes 164 parking spaces plus an additional 16 that would be deeded over to the town as public benefit. Those parking spaces could generate $350,000 in parking revenue for the town.
The Neptune team, which included the Neighborhood Company’s Patrick Vanasse and Ken Gallander, estimated the economic impact from the new resort would be somewhere between $63 million and $180 million per year to the local area. Vanasse, who is a 20-year Fort Myers Beach resident and served on the LPA for 8 years, said the town has had a bit of a shift in attitude. “Allowing some additional height with public benefits may not be as much of a concern. More density is needed to expedite rebuilding. We have presented a basket of benefits. Your job is to weigh that basket of benefits which we believe justifies the ask”
Here’s a list of some of the public benefits The Neptune team included in their proposal.
Chair Anita Cereceda said she has liked this project from the first time she saw it. “It’s too high and it’s too dense. You’ve done a tremendous job to make it palatable to Fort Myers Beach.” Cereceda added, “If anyone thinks I’m turning my back on Fort Myers Beach come see me.”
The final LPA vote was 5-0 in favor with two members absent for the vote.
One person spoke in opposition to the project and that was because of the upkeep of the current building.
If the Town Council approves the project, following two public hearings in December, it will take about 6 months to get all the needed permits then about 2 years to build.
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