It is been really a ride for Fort Myers Beach Mayor Dan Allers the previous 5 months, and in lots of methods the perform is just starting. At a current industrial genuine estate skilled meeting, I asked him about
comments by TPI Hospitality, who presented a view that seems to differ drastically from the Fort Myers Beach town council’s.

“I wasn’t there, but I did study the story and I did speak to (Tom) Torgerson personally about what was stated,” stated Allers. “I would not say that we’re on opposite ends of the spectrum. I assume we’re saying the identical factors just in distinct methods.”

Allers recounted the very first TPI program from a handful of years ago, which did not get instant approval from the town.

“If there is a single issue that Margaritaville did, they did come out with that very first grandiose program and it ended up like a turd in the punch bowl, pardon my language. And they they got instant backlash. But what they did study, and if you ask Mr. Torgreson or Mr. (John) Dammerman this, what they did study is that ahead of they do something additional, they are going to listen to the neighborhood. They are going to come across out what does the neighborhood have the backbone for.”

Ellers did concede that the island will never ever be the identical.

“You know, we lost most of our cottages. It is unfortunate. I am a history guy, so I truly hated to see that. We know we’re not going to get these back now. Our neighborhood that we had ahead of the storm is almost certainly going to be a lot distinct than the neighborhood we’re gonna have now. We all know that some persons are deciding on to leave that never want to wait for 5 to ten years. It is going to take to get back to September 27th, what it looked like or what ever the new appear is going to be.”

In reference to any developer’s portion in redeveloping the island, Eller stated, “Possessing communication with every day persons that come there, residents, vacationers, I assume that gets you to a program. If you can get the neighborhood behind you, the council is going to assistance it no matter what it is. If it is additional density, triple density, quadruple density, and the town supports it, then we’ll assistance it. That is who we perform for.”

Eller stated that TPI does have a massive portion in that redevelopment.

“They got a incredibly good piece of home that I assume we’re all going to get to delight in. Who would have believed? Two years ago that they have been going to be the the kickstart to Fort Myers Beach once more?”

Karen Moore is a contributing companion for WGCU and the publisher of SWFL Small business Right now.