Pink Shell Proposes New 8-Story Building

The proposed building across from the resort on Estero Boulevard includes a 4-story 518 space parking garage and 4 stories of condo units to accommodate 109 multifamily residential units above the parking garage.

The owners of the Pink Shell Resort & Marina will be asking the town to rezone seven parcels that when combined occupy over 11 acres from Commercial Planned Development, Commercial Resort and Environmentally Critical zoning districts to a unified Commercial Planned Development and Environmentally Critical zoning.

On the Gulfside what the Pink Shell owns is mostly developed with the existing White Sands (Pink Shell Resort), Captiva Villas and Sanibel View Villas buildings. Those buildings avoided significant structural damage during Hurricane Ian. Damage did occur to the four cottages, which were knocked down and removed, and the land south of Gulfshore Court was overflow surface parking that resort ownership says would now be available for development.

The ownership of the resort is proposing workforce housing to the Gulfside parcels, south of the Pink Shell Resort building abutting Gulfshore Court and the beachside amenities that were largely destroyed. 2 of 16 cottages that were Gulfside are proposed to move to Bayside on the northern most parcel that is currently parking.

The Bayside parcels, which are the structures you see in the picture below, and housed a marina store, parking, and 41 slips, are proposed to be redeveloped with the 518-space parking garage, 200 of which would be for public use. The structure would also include commercial office space and retail, and up to 109 multifamily residential units over the parking garage. The building would be eight stories and 91 feet in total height over base flood elevation.
Once complete the proposed CPD intensity/density is 113 multifamily dwelling units, 3,500 square feet of commercial, 2,500 square feet of office, 197 rooms (2 new rooms from spa conversion), 41 boat slips (39 liveabords), 16-unit (48 bed) workforce housing building, resort amenities, and accessory uses to the resort such as pools, slides, restaurants, conference rooms, fitness facilities, pool bar, spa, and water sports.

In order to request zoning and other changes before the LPA and Town Council developers must show elected and appointed officials they are giving the town some public benefits from their project in order for changes to be considered. Because this proposal is requesting density and height above the current Comprehensive Plan and Land Development Code regulations, Pink Shell management says the project includes “a substantial number of public benefits.”

Here are those public benefits, according to the proposal:
1. A parking garage with dedicated public parking spaces. 200 of the 518 spaces in the privately built parking structure would be open for public use.
2. Participation in a town sponsored parking system and app. Signage was needed years ago but can now be accomplished by smartphone apps. The applicant would be a willing participant in a Town- led and initiated system.
3. Workforce housing on the Gulfside with 16 rooms and three beds per room.
4. Relocated public accessways at north and south end of building (Bayside) and improved/redesigned public boardwalk along Matanzas Pass The proposed parking garage interferes with the location of the easements. The redevelopment plan is to relocate the easements and enhance the experience with a landscaped walkway from Estero Boulevard that wraps the bayside of the building with an improved meandering boardwalk along the water of Matanzas Pass.
5. Public licensed fishing pier at southern end of building (Bayside). The resort owns 309 Estero Boulevard which had a shared dock that was destroyed by the hurricane. The applicant would rebuild it into a public amenity – a licensed fishing pier with dock and water taxi stop.
6. Landscaping improvements to Estero Boulevard for the length of the CPD, redesigned and maintained in perpetuity by the Resort
7. Administrative space and parking (above flood) for a Lee County Sherriff’s outreach office
8. Storage for City vehicles (above flood) during storm related evacuations.
9. Electric vehicle charging stations in the parking garage.
10. Electric scooters, e-bikes and golf cart parking and recharging spaces.
11. Drop off/pick up location for a water taxi route connecting visitors to San Carlos Island.

In making their request for approval, the 16-page application for the project submitted to the town from the Pink Shell ownership states that, “expansion is largely contributing to the public benefit of Fort Myers Beach, including public parking spaces to enhance access to the beach, Estero Boulevard landscaping to improve aesthetics and the pedestrian environment, fishing piers and boardwalks that are fully open to the public, and additional restaurants and recreational amenities as well as much needed workforce housing. As proposed through the Pink Shell Resort & Marina CPD and the site-specific Mixed-Use District, the new CPD will be consistent with the vision and implementing goals, objectives and policies of the Town’s Comprehensive Plan and Land Development Code Regulations.”

Pink Shell SVP of Operations Bill Waichulis will be our guest for the full hour this Saturday at 11AM on Beach Talk Radio.