Fort Myers Beach Woman’s Club members will find out Wednesday night when the owner of the building gives the group an update on his plans for the building at a Woman’s Club membership meeting.
In late 2023 building owner Steve Boge filed a pre-application request with the town looking for feedback on whether the town has any issues with him converting the building into a restaurant.
In the application Boge said he’d like to remodel the existing building with a lower level restaurant. He says the kitchen would be remodeled upstairs in the existing location, and he wanted to know if there were “any issues with a restaurant at this location given the movie theater has always had a full service restaurant/bar.”
Boge also wants to turn the parking area under the building into seating for the restaurant. The application does not say if his idea is to close off the lower area or keep it open. The second level would also include a dining room and a bar.
In recent months work was being done on the seawall behind the building and Boge has to install mangroves to the water that he illegally removed after Ian.
The Beach Theater closed in May of 2022 when Boge purchased the building for $4 million. At the time he told us the building could be opened as a restaurant or it could be something completely different. He said the building allows for “broad zoning usage.”
Boge’s ownership group also purchased the 34-room Gulfview Manor Resort as part of the deal. The total for both properties was $19 million. Boge is also part owner of The Dolphin Inn and Palm Terrace on the beach.
It’s easy to become a member of the Fort Myers Beach Woman’s Club. CLICK HERE. Membership is only $75 per year and your biggest task will be to volunteer at events.
The beach theater is one of the most missed places on the beach! What happened to the idea of having 2 theaters on one side and a restaurant on the other?
Restaurant!!! We need way more dining options on south end of Island.
Are there plans to rebuild Dolphin Inn on the old site?
I would love a theatre as well as the restaurant. We watched movies there at least 2 times a month.
Such uniqueness on the beach. Vacationers want things they cant get at home…thats what we loved about FMB when we began our journey here in the 90s!
A restaurant is what’s needed, hope that happens
Application was in late 2023? That’s a long time ago! Would love another restaurant on the south end. Will they have to add ,ore windows to the building?