City Council greenlights 11-story Hilton in Fort Myers

Fort Myers City Council members greenlit a developer’s plan to build an 11-story, 175-room Hilton-brand hotel on an empty lot in downtown’s historic core.  

On Sept. 2, Council voted 4-2 to approve FTM Downtown Hotel LLC’s request to add two stories to its already approved nine-story plan at the corner of First and Jackson streets.  

“It’s a great project for the city of Fort Myers,” said attorney Sawyer Smith, who represents the developers. “… We’ve got a lot of work to do, but we’re building a hotel.” 

The decision will make the hotel more profitable, its developers said, but it will also tower over adjoining architectural landmarks that house the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center, Izzy’s Fish & Oyster restaurant and other businesses.

It was a controversial decision that split city planning boards and the public between those who said it will tarnish downtown’s character and others who see it as a desirable investment and amenity on a long-vacant urban infill site. 

The developer estimated that the hotel will cost $75 million to build with a taxable value of $541,955; and that 50 to 100 employees, depending on season, would be paid salaries that amount to $40,000 to $150,000 per year. 

Fort Myers resident William Ward, who creates leather goods for his Hawk Wing Leather Co. at The Franklin Shops, spoke in favor of the hotel.  

“I want to see tourism,” he said. “I want to see people come to downtown Fort Myers." 

Previously, the Fort Myers Historic Preservation Commission in a 4-3 vote and the city’s Local Planning Agency in a 5-2 vote approved the 11-story plan.  

Preservation Committee Chair Gina Sabiston cast a dissenting vote. 

“Fort Myers has invested decades in creating a walkable, human-scaled downtown that is not ‘Everywhere USA,’ but uniquely ours,” Sabiston told Council. “Approving 11 stories in the heart of the district — when nine was already a generous exception — tips the scale away from balance toward irreversible change.” 

Council members Liston Bochette and Teresa Watkins Brown cast dissenting votes, siding with historic preservationists and residents who argued that the hotel’s height at 141 feet and a generic architectural design will clash with downtown’s unique, historic character. 

“This is like putting a size 12 foot into a size 10 shoe,” Bochette said. 

Council member Diana Giraldo voted in favor of the 11-story hotel but also expressed concerns about its architectural design. 

“I would like to see some enhancement on the facade so that it really represents what’s around it,” she said.  

In 2003, the city of Fort Myers adopted a downtown master plan led by architect and New Urban city planner Andrés Duany. It shaped downtown’s development for years to come. But city leaders also have long been criticized as they reshaped the plan in the following years, often permitting higher buildings than Duany envisioned.  

“In the historic core of downtown Fort Myers between the bridges, our downtown [Duany] plan contains the most attention to detail,” wrote urban planner Bill Spikowski in a 2005 News-Press editorial that criticized the Council for amending Duany’s guidelines. “Most vacant property not owned by government could have mixed-use buildings from two to five stories in height, never taller than six stories.”  

Officials also are concerned that the new hotel will increase parking congestion. The city does not require a developer in the downtown core to add parking. The Hilton developer is set to lease 60 spaces from nearby Main Street Garage on Jackson and Main streets for a valet parking service.  

It’s not clear where up to 100 employees will park in downtown. Bochette pointed out disapprovingly that a consultant for the developer suggested that the hotel’s employees use public transportation. 

“Let them eat cake,” Bochette added.