Developers reveal plan proposals for Fort Myers Yacht Basin

A boating community that’s worried about their future is taking concerns to Fort Myers city leaders.

There are big plans to bring new business into the yacht basin, which would raise the rent for people who live on their boats in the marina, but developers tried to ease their minds on Thursday.

For six long hours, the boaters listened to developers pitch ideas on how to renovate the downtown Fort Myers yacht basin.

Bill Westberry lives on his boat in the marina and says, “We like the amenities, we like new facilities, we like the covered dock idea.”

However, they fear construction will do more harm than good. “Don’t disturb the toxic sludge that’s most likely at the bottom of the marina,” he said.

We asked the Department of Environmental Protection if there is indeed toxic sludge and no one got back by the time of this report. And none of the four developers mentioned toxic sludge in their presentations to city leaders.

What developers want to do at the yacht basin varies from plan to plan.

Eric and Karen Martin recently lived in the marine, and said “There’s that one group, the local group… that it didn’t sound like they’re going to do a whole lot of changes. That they’re going to try and keep a lot of the existing stuff. And just kind of build on the existing… I thought that was pretty good.”

The other ideas range from a 13-story building with a parking garage and apartments; A new marketplace to new restaurants, shops, docks, and gas pumps, you name it.  Everything the city wants.

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