Fort Myers council to discuss $11.5M bid for News-Press site redevelopment

Reporter: Haley Zarcone
Published: Updated:

The Fort Myers News-Press building, a site with a long history and untapped potential, may soon undergo a transformation.

The nearly 10-acre parcel of land is being considered for redevelopment into a mixed-use site featuring apartments, retail space and more.

The Fort Myers City Council is set to discuss scheduling a public hearing for the proposed purchase and sale of the former News-Press site, located at the corner of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Fowler Street.

Catalyst Community Development LLC has submitted a bid of $11.5 million to acquire the property and convert it into a mixed-use development.

On Tuesday, another company placed a bid on the property.

The site is conveniently located near downtown and the Dunbar community, but the surrounding roads experience heavy traffic.

Cole Peacock, co-founder of Seed and Bean Market, emphasized the importance of conducting surveys and traffic flow studies to ensure the project’s success.

“I think the challenge is making sure they do the right logistics studies and the traffic flow studies because while it’s great to increase the footprint in downtown, it also increases the foot traffic,” Peacock said.

The advertisement for a public hearing also opens the door for other bids on the property. Freeman Fort Myers LLC is reportedly preparing another potential bid.

The city council meeting is scheduled to begin at 4:30 p.m.

The outcome of the meeting will determine the next steps for this significant redevelopment opportunity in Fort Myers.

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