It’s now up to Fort Myers City Council to decide if a developer can add two additional floors to its planned hotel in the Downtown Historic District.  

The city’s Historic Preservation Committee narrowly approved the proposal last month in a 4-3 vote, and the Planning Board followed with a 5-2 recommendation in favor July 2. City Council is expected to make a final decision by early September. 

“It compromises the historic district, the mass and scale,” said Gina Sabiston, one of three Historic Preservation members who voted against the project.  

The project has been a long time coming. Developer David Fry announced in 2016 plans for The Place on First, on the empty lot on the southeast corner of First and Jackson streets, next to the Franklin Arms building and across from The Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center. His idea was to build 15 luxury condos and office space.  

He abandoned the project in 2022 and sold the property to FTM Downtown Hotel LLC for $2.5 million. In 2023, City Council approved FTM Downtown’s request to increase the building’s height from seven to nine floors. 

The increase in the number of floors is needed to make the development work financially, said attorney Terry Cramer, who spoke for FTM at the Historic Preservation Committee meeting. Construction costs have gone up since FTM started the project, so extra rooms are needed. 

Virginia Harper, who spoke out against the building during the committee meeting and has been active in fighting the project on social media, said the building doesn’t fit into the surrounding downtown.  

“This building adds to the ugliness of downtown,” she said. “It’s not attractive.” 

The outside of the first few floors is red brick, similar to many First Street buildings, said Veronica Martin, of TDM Consulting Inc. She represents the developers. 

The arches are of natural stone and are reminiscent of the Sydney Berne’s arches, Cramer said. One of the board’s complaints was that the outside of the rest of the floors don’t fit with the downtown buildings.  

Cramer defended the additional two floors, saying they fit into the downtown regulations because the Luminary Hotel, a couple blocks to the north, is 12 floors. The preservation board didn’t buy the argument, saying its location was different.  

In the end, however, the economic argument won. Cramer said the rooms will bring more people downtown, meaning more money for businesses. Also, more hotel rooms are needed so Caloosa Sound Convention Center can attract larger conventions.  

Mayor Kevin Anderson is in favor of approving the extra height.  

“I can’t speak for the others, but I don’t anticipate it will be an issue. It’s been supported collectively in the past,” he said.  

Several council members have yet to respond to emails and phone messages. 

The additional beds are needed for events at the convention center, Anderson said.  

He said there will always be opposition and, while he values the city’s history, it’s important to find a balance between preservation and progress. 

“With as much growth as we have things are going to change,” he said.  

The city’s Community Redevelopment Agency in April approved a tax increment rebate for the hotel not to exceed $14.3 million. 

The hotel will have no on-site parking. The developers reached an agreement with the city to lease 60 spots, and possibly more if Council approves the extra floors, for the nearby parking garage.  

Groundbreaking could happen by the end of the year if the developers get Council’s OK, Cramer said.