Hotel plans show promise

Plans for a downtown convention center hotel in Fort Myers remain on track for a groundbreaking later this year.

Speaking to 125 real estate executives with the Real Estate Investment Society recently, Fort Myers Community Redevelopment Agency Executive Director Don Paight says the 255-room Sheraton-flagged hotel will connect to Harborside Event Center.

Paight says the developer is days away from receiving the equity from investors to start the $55 million project. “We're very close to doing the final signing,” Paight told the crowd.
The hotel and the 210-space parking garage are key components to a new round of development in downtown Fort Myers. Paight estimates about $500 million worth of projects are underway or in the planning stages in that area.

Meanwhile, Harborside will undergo a $9 million renovation in the fall, a much-needed project to boost convention business. “Harborside will be renovated, with or without the hotel,” Paight says.