$13M Fort Myers Beach resort project to start construction in early July

Construction is about to officially kick off on the site of Times Square on Fort Myers Beach the destination heavily damaged during Hurricane Ian nearly four years ago.

Going up is is a three-story, 41,285-square-foot mixed-use beachfront development named Sunset Beach Resort. The property will have six hotel rooms.

According to Benchmark General Contractors, the $13 million project is built on the site of the former Sunset Beach Tropical Grill and The Playmore Tiki Bar.

Times Square is a pedestrian friendly plaza and gathering space on Fort Myers Beach. It sits near where the Matanzas Pass Bridge empties onto Estero Boulevard.  

Like the entire barrier island, it suffered massive damage during Hurricane Ian in September 2022.

In the nearly four years since the storm, there has been an ongoing — and often fierce — debate about what direction the rebuilding should take, with some advocating the island embrace growth with major projects while others argue for it to return as a more traditional beach town.

This Sunset Beach project got caught up in that fight.

According to the local Fort Myers Observer and Bulletin, the property’s owner, Persaud Properties FL Investment, which has owned it since 2014, originally wanted to build a 31-room hotel on the site.

But a negative response from the Fort Myers Beach Town Council last year led to the abandonment of that particular plan.

According to Benchmark, a ceremonial groundbreaking will be held July 6. Construction is expected to take 18 months, with completion targeted for early 2028.