Take that, hurricanes

When it comes to hurricanes, the MacFarlane family, prolific Fort Myers developers, aren't messing around with their latest project, a two-tower, 22-story waterfront condo community.

The 220-unit project, Prima Luce, is designed in the planning stages to be able to sustain 160 mph winds. That exceeds the Miami-Dade hurricane code — the strictest code in the state, say Prima Luce LLC officials. The project, for which MacFarlane Grand Properties is the brokerage firm, is expected to break ground in the fourth quarter. “We want this to go above and beyond hurricane standards,” MacFarlane Grand Properties and Prima Luce COO Rebekah MacFarlane Barney tells Coffee Talk.

The developers had been testing the project's major storm fortification systems prior to Hurricane Irma. But after the havoc the storm caused, the developers released specific news of the project's ability to withstand powerful storms. The 160 mph figure for the community, in the Downtown Fort Myers Historic River District, stems from a certified engineering firm's wind tunnel simulation experiment, according to a statement.