Next stop for Grand Resorts pitch is on the beach
Town Council member Rexann Hosafros chuckles at the fact a lightning-rod subject of controversy will be on display at her church.
“It’s just a coincidence,” she said of Monday’s open-house presentation regarding the $250 million Grand Resorts proposal that could bring four hotels, a pedestrian mall, parking garage, roundabout and boardwalk to downtown Fort Myers Beach. “As people know, I really don’t mix church and state.”
Hosafros said the location was chosen because it was available at night and at a decent hourly rate of $75.
“The library may be a better location, but to open it at night they need to put on an employee,” she said. “With the church, a parishioner has volunteered to lock up when it’s done.”
The development idea, spearheaded by local resident Tom Torgerson, was first put on display in the form of a government workshop Nov. 30 in Fort Myers at Florida SouthWestern State College. More than 250 residents were in attendance, spilling out into the hallways. In general, the response seemed favorable based upon audience reaction and post-presentation interviews.
Hosafros expects a similar local turnout, if not larger.
“We have a very involved citizenry here,” she said, “and I consider this meeting the important one after all, the project would be happening here.
“And we have some seniors here who have a hard time leaving the island, so they most likely didn’t get to the first meeting.”
The Monday meeting will not be a public hearing there will not be opportunities for attendees to address the presenters or city officials but will rather serve as an informational tool. However, Hosafros said residents will be able to speak with the development team members in an informal manner after the presentation.
“That first meeting was more formal, with it being before the Town Council and the county’s Board of Commissioners,” she said. “This will offer the chance for some one-on-one interaction.”
And will the church setting help keep everyone on their best behavior?
“Well, it can only help,” Hosafros said with a laugh.
Beach resident Sal Bracello, who opposes the development, said he plans to attend. He recently moved here after 46 years in New Jersey, in part because the town’s beachfront had a low-key feel.
“I saw firsthand this type of thing come to Atlantic City back in the 1970s and ’80s and I couldn’t wait to get away from it all,” he said. “Everyone was all excited back then but now the place is a disaster, a ghost town. I doubt the local (Fort Myers Beach) residents will allow for this to happen.”
Eric Gross, who is visiting this week from Chicago, disagrees. His parents have owned a property here since the early ’80s, and over the years Gross has seen many businesses fail.
“Some of my favorite places are gone, and you still see some empty storefronts,” he said. “We need to draw more people. I don’t think the beach businesses can survive without this.”
According to results of an online poll provided by the Beach Observer, 63 percent of respondents supported the project as of Tuesday morning.
The project, which could begin boardwalk and seawall construction as early as next fall, must be approved at both the town and county levels. Both governing bodies must host two public hearings as part of the process.
Next stop for Grand Resorts pitch is on the beach
Town Council member Rexann Hosafros chuckles at the fact a lightning-rod subject of controversy will be on display at her church.
“It’s just a coincidence,” she said of Monday’s open-house presentation regarding the $250 million Grand Resorts proposal that could bring four hotels, a pedestrian mall, parking garage, roundabout and boardwalk to downtown Fort Myers Beach. “As people know, I really don’t mix church and state.”
Hosafros said the location was chosen because it was available at night and at a decent hourly rate of $75.
“The library may be a better location, but to open it at night they need to put on an employee,” she said. “With the church, a parishioner has volunteered to lock up when it’s done.”
The development idea, spearheaded by local resident Tom Torgerson, was first put on display in the form of a government workshop Nov. 30 in Fort Myers at Florida SouthWestern State College. More than 250 residents were in attendance, spilling out into the hallways. In general, the response seemed favorable based upon audience reaction and post-presentation interviews.
Hosafros expects a similar local turnout, if not larger.
“We have a very involved citizenry here,” she said, “and I consider this meeting the important one after all, the project would be happening here.
“And we have some seniors here who have a hard time leaving the island, so they most likely didn’t get to the first meeting.”
The Monday meeting will not be a public hearing there will not be opportunities for attendees to address the presenters or city officials but will rather serve as an informational tool. However, Hosafros said residents will be able to speak with the development team members in an informal manner after the presentation.
“That first meeting was more formal, with it being before the Town Council and the county’s Board of Commissioners,” she said. “This will offer the chance for some one-on-one interaction.”
And will the church setting help keep everyone on their best behavior?
“Well, it can only help,” Hosafros said with a laugh.
Beach resident Sal Bracello, who opposes the development, said he plans to attend. He recently moved here after 46 years in New Jersey, in part because the town’s beachfront had a low-key feel.
“I saw firsthand this type of thing come to Atlantic City back in the 1970s and ’80s and I couldn’t wait to get away from it all,” he said. “Everyone was all excited back then but now the place is a disaster, a ghost town. I doubt the local (Fort Myers Beach) residents will allow for this to happen.”
Eric Gross, who is visiting this week from Chicago, disagrees. His parents have owned a property here since the early ’80s, and over the years Gross has seen many businesses fail.
“Some of my favorite places are gone, and you still see some empty storefronts,” he said. “We need to draw more people. I don’t think the beach businesses can survive without this.”
According to results of an online poll provided by the Beach Observer, 63 percent of respondents supported the project as of Tuesday morning.
The project, which could begin boardwalk and seawall construction as early as next fall, must be approved at both the town and county levels. Both governing bodies must host two public hearings as part of the process.