Pink Shell hotel expansion gets green light from Fort Myers Beach council

Reporter: Jillian Haggerty
Published: Updated:

The Fort Myers Beach Town Council has approved a new six-story, 40-room Pink Shell Hotel across from the main resort.

The decision was made with a unanimous 4-0 vote Monday.

The Pink Shell Beach Resort and Marina suffered significant damage from Hurricane Ian over two years ago. Since then, Bill Waichulis, the resort’s president, has advocated for its expansion.

“I will sleep a lot better tonight now, getting our approval,” said Waichulis. “It was a two-year process. It was stressful, and development is not easy.”

Despite challenges, Waichulis believes the effort has been worthwhile.

“So, you know, that takes time and resources, and that has happened over the last two years,” said Waichulis. “But we were, you know, ecstatic about the outcome.”

However, some community members have voiced concerns about the new design. They fear it doesn’t capture the old cottage feel and instead resembles Miami Beach.

“Extensions of height and a 10-foot setback where there was once a sweet little cottage,” said a community member named Judie.

Robert Burns, another community member, expressed concerns about the motivations behind the project.

“There are more people willing to do this for the almighty dollar for tax base, and we don’t want Miami Beach here,” said Burns.

The Town Council, however, moved forward with the project, voting in favor of the expansion.

Waichulis believes this decision will restore tourism and help the local economy grow.

“We help bring people to Fort Myers Beach because of what we’ve built, and that’s only what we’re going to continue,” said Waichulis. “We’re not going to do anything less than what you’ve seen in the past.”

The project is expected to take between 12 and 24 months to complete.

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