Shipwreck owner receives permit
Shipwreck Treasures and Motel Owner John Richard recently received a commercial permit from the Town of Fort Myers Beach to further develop his property and the Old San Carlos Boulevard BayWalk area. The job location is for 201 Old San Carlos Blvd. with an application date of Nov. 9, 2009.
“We’re continuing the Master Plan of Old San Carlos with a phase building,” said Richard. “There’s going to be retail on the ground floor and eventually we’ll be putting the motel units on top.”
The building is expected to be taking up the current businesses’ parking lot on the right toward the Bay side.
“With the Master Plan on Old San Carlos, all the buildings are built to the sidewalk so that it makes it a family-fun-friendly shopping experience from the Gulf to the Bay,” said Richard.
Richard is unsure what type of businesses will be renting out the commercial spaces.
“We’re going to see what kind of tenants we get for it,” he said. “We’re starting the process right now. It’s been a long road to get the permit. Now we’re moving forward.
Richard and the BayWalk Group isn’t stopping at this new endeavor.
“We’re looking at other pieces that we will building onto over the years,” he said. “La Playa has already received their permit. Snug Harbor is also in the process of obtaining while the Harbor House is finishing Phase I and will be going to Phase II which deals with the lot in front of it.”
Richard is excited about the changes on Old San Carlos Boulevard.
“It’s nice to see the vision of the Town’s Old San Carlos Master Plan start to move forward,” he said. “It’s nice to see the community develop the main street.”
Shipwreck Treasures and Motel is located on the north side of Old San Carlos between Yucatan Beach Stand and Smokin Oyster Brewery. The property is on the edge of a scenic lagoon with dockage.
The Town’s commercial permit (#COM08-0085) lists McDole Construction Company of Bonita Springs as the contractor for the project and Joseph M. McHarris, Inc., also of Bonita Springs, as the applicant. An estimated cost of $264,670 is to add retail space to the front of the property.