Plan to rebuild resilience to prevent future crises on Fort Myers Beach

Reporter: Asha Patel Writer: Matias Abril
Published: Updated:
Fort Myers Beach

As proud as we are of our community for how far we’ve come since Hurricane Ian knocked us down more than a year ago, how do we make sure Southwest Florida never comes to its knees like that again?

Ian made its mark on Fort Myers Beach, causing unforgettable destruction that people are still dealing with more than a year after.

Members from architectural companies Schenkel Shultz and Scape presented to town leaders
a plan and a message on how Fort Myers Beach can thrive and be resilient in the future.

“We know that members of your community want to preserve the character of Fort Myers Beach. We know we wanna keep what makes it special and not lose sight of who they are,” said Nathalie White from Schenkel Shultz.

They showed sketches from New York, Tampa and other cities.

White spent seven months after Hurricane Ian picking up debris and finding ways to help rebuild the beach.

Now, Schenkel Schultz partnered up with Scape, landscape architects, who together devised a resilient idea for Fort Myers Beach.

The plan includes a guide on investment and development for the future, ways to identify and implement adaptation pathways and state and federal funding options.

The mayor, town manager and council members listened in, asking questions about funding and timing.

While there are still several steps to go, this plan will take six months to a year to develop, and until then, the community of Fort Myers Beach will remain resilient every single day.

Next up, town leaders will discuss the presentation and decide if they want to move forward, but the mayor wants Lee County to be part of this process.

He said he doesn’t want to spend the town’s money if the county is not in favor of it.

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