Downtown Fort Myers Luminary hotel project approaches deadline

All signs of progress is on display at the site of the downtown Luminary Hotel project. There are machines making loud noises and crew members onsite digging up property over the railing.

But the deed on the land still states no business can be built there. The disagreement over that statement is being litigated in court. It will not go to trial until December.

But the Luminary Hotel will be the subject of an emergency meeting Thursday. It will take place in the council chambers at 4:30 p.m. The meeting will be open to the public.

Nearly $3 million of tax payer money has been allocated for the project. The expenditure will be a waste if the project doesn’t proceed.

“When they started this project, no one looked at the deed and say, ‘oh gosh?'” David Keppel said, a downtown Fort Myers resident. “It don’t make sense to me.”

Ward 4 councilperson, Liston Bochette, isn’t commenting on the matter. He said the project started before his time on the council and will continue beyond it. Bochette plans to step down by the end of the year.