Bailey’s General Store shares renderings for Sanibel Island rebuild

Author: David Dorsey, Gulfshore Business
Published: Updated:

On the day Hurricane Ian hit nearly two years ago, Richard Johnson had plans and permits to renovate Bailey’s General Store on his desk. He soon knew they would have to be destroyed, just like the Sanibel Island grocery store his family owns. 

The store on the corner of Periwinkle Way and Tarpon Bay Road was the third location of a business that opened in 1899, making it the longest-running business in Southwest Florida. 

“When we got out here and looked at the level of destruction and the damage that was done by Hurricane Ian, we recognized that rebuilding the store was not only not possible because of the 50% rule with [the Federal Emergency Management Agency], but it also didn’t really make good business sense either,” said Johnson, who said he keeps his duties as mayor of Sanibel separate from the business tasks at hand. 

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