Mayor chases downtown Fort Myers hotel

Fort Myers Mayor Randy Henderson told a group of real estate executives that he's working hard to bring a new hotel downtown.

“I have been in discussions with three viable hoteliers,” says Henderson. One of those would invest $35 million in cash, he notes. “Keep your fingers crossed on that one.”

Henderson has been leading the charge on downtown development with the creation of a $5.4 million water-retention basin that would help new developments comply with costly stormwater requirements. Downtown Fort Myers hugs the Caloosahatchee River, and developments must comply with strict rules governing water runoff when it rains.