2010 Downtown Plan - Fort Myers Business Development

DOWNTOWN FT. MYERS, FLORIDASPECIFIC INTERVENTIONSThe Study Areas map identifi es 17 Specifi c Interventions forDowntown Fort Myers. The study areas are focused on: thecritical fi rst stage areas for revitalization in the heart of downtownand along the waterfront; key sites for future neighborhoodcenters; and the principal corridors leading into the downtown.As mentioned earlier, the plan focuses on leveraging the keydowntown amenities – a riverfront within walking distance of awalkable main street (First Street) – and taking advantage of theconcentration of City-owned property in this area. Thus the areashown in The Heart of Downtown diagram contains the largestnumber of proposed interventions.EAST BASINSITECULTURAL CAMPUSEASTERNENTRANCEEASTERNRIVERFRONTOVERVIEW2009 Fort Myers Riverfront Development PlanAs described in the FOREWORD, the City commissioned a moredetailed riverfront development plan in 2009 for the area betweenthe bridges from Bay St. to the river. This plan was to translate theriverfront concepts presented in the 2003 Downtown Fort MyersPlan into an actual development plan that was based on currentmarket and fi nancial conditions. (The 2009 Fort Myers RiverfrontDevelopment Plan is located behind Tab 2.)SYMPHONY ANDPARKING SITEWESTERN ANCHORBASIN-FRONT SITEWEST BASINSITEEVANSNEIGHBORHOODSQUAREThe Specifi c Interventions contained in this section of the 2003Downtown Fort Myers Plan are concepts of how new constructioncould occur in the Downtown Redevelopment Area. Since the fi naladoption of the 2003 Downtown Fort Myers Plan, these Interventionshave been studied to determine whether they were fi nancially andspatially feasible. Many of the items recommended in the 2003Downtown Fort Myers Plan, such as the Harborside expansion,hotel, retail/mixed-use development, parking and public riverfrontopen space, have remained in the 2009 Fort Myers RiverfrontDevelopment Plan, however, some of them have been relocatedwithin the riverfront area or revised. These include:• the relocation of the convention hotel from the formerExhibition Hall site to the Harborside Parking Lot site,• an increase in the amount of restaurant and retail space,• the relocation of the parking garage locations and thefarmers’ market.HENLEY PLACEWESTERNRIVERFRONTCENTENNIAL PARKEASTERNANCHORHENDRY STREETENTRANCESeveral items which were added in the 2009 Fort Myers RiverfrontDevelopment Plan include:• the creation of a water feature whose primary goal is to treatstormwater runoff,• a more substantial expansion of Harborside,• a curvilinear pier extending into the river, and• the creation of a riverwalk constructed on the riverside ofthe mangrovesMC GREGORENTRANCEEDISON SQUARETHE CENTER0 200 400 800 1,600 ftTwo Specifi c Interventions which were not included in the 2009 FortMyers Riverfront Development Plan include the Symphony Hall andriverfront roadway from Hendry St to Dean St.STUDY AREAS: The study areas include new neighborhood centers, eastern and western riverfront areas, and a host of sites in the historic core.IV.1