Grand Resorts to make its final push
The Grand Resorts plan is coming down to the wire as far as the details go, and what the public will see Monday represents about 95 percent of what will be included in the application to the town.
However, the final installment in a three-part series of public outreach meetings will again be counted upon to provide the feedback needed to complete the process.
“We may be down to about 5 percent, but we feel that 5 percent is very important,” said Tina Matte, the spokeswoman for the proposed project. “There’s still tweaking to be done.”
Monday’s meeting, to be held at 5:30 p.m. at Bay Oaks Recreation Center, will feature new conceptual renderings and some state-of-the-art virtual technology taking viewers through the traffic flow and parking opportunities, Matte said. Traffic and parking are two of the topics to be addressed, the others being zoning and new architectural twists.
Last month, a seawall and the buildings’ design were the topics.
Developer Tom Torgerson will likely continue to hold informal meetings with those who desire a conversation, Matte said, and two public hearings are required by law once an application is made. Both the town of Fort Myers Beach and Lee County must approve the project.
A target date for filing the application has not been set, Matte said. Could it reach the Town Council members’ desks prior to the March 15 election? Two seats are up for grabs that day.
“We’re not sure, but none of what we’re doing has been relative to the election,” Matte said. “We want this to stand on its own merit, regardless.”
The proposed project features three hotels, a pedestrian mall, a seawall and boardwalk, a parking structure and roundabout in the downtown area. Its cost is estimated at $250 million, with a projected construction time frame of four to five years. To date, Torgerson has purchased more than $37 million worth of downtown property.