Focus on Downtown Fort Myers

With a return of retail and thousands of people, downtown planners hope that the influx of people continues, spurring development away from the Caloosahatchee with mid-rises in the blocks south of the river.

Only time will tell. What is known for sure is that thousands of well-heeled residents are on the precipice of making downtown Fort Myers home-or one of their homes. What remains to be seen is whether retail will indeed follow, along with more cultural attractions, and if that will create the kind of dynamic that will ultimately transform the once quiet Fort Myers into a vibrant central city similar to Naples and Sarasota. At this point, given examples to the north and south, smart money is on a new city. The start could hardly be more impressive.