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Computerized rendering of Margaritaville released

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The developer of a proposed resort on Fort Myers Beach last week unveiled a computerized rendering of the project. However, the lawsuit that reached the courts Monday could delay the start of the project.

TPI Hospitality released a computerized rendering of the Margaritaville Resort on Fort Myers Beach. The more than six-minute video shows about 80 percent of the development, featuring a huge swimming pool and even cornhole in close-up and long-view angles.

The rendering can be seen on the Margaritaville Resort Facebook page.

The Fort Myers Beach Town Council unanimously approved the project last May. Mayor Anita Cereceda said she is very excited about the project.

“I’m going to be patient and wait until it gets further down the road. I’m sure there are things people like and dislike about it, but it’s preliminary,” Cereceda said.

However, not everyone felt that way. Resident Cristine Patton have filed two lawsuits against the town of Fort Myers Beach, one of which went to court Monday.

One was an appeal of the Town Council’s decision to make sure it was within the scope of their authority, for which all the documents are in for a judge to decide. The other is a civil action that was filed at the same time, for which a date has yet to be set.

With the lawsuits, it makes it seem as though the feelings on the resort would be mixed. Cereceda does not agree.

“If you were to put this to a referendum, it would win with at least 75 percent of the vote. There are still people who don’t like the idea, and I understand why they would,” Cereceda said. “But the majority of the island is looking forward to this.”

John Gucciardo, consultant and spokesperson for TPI, said that is a conservative estimate. He said it would win by more than a three-to-one margin, and that some of the fears have been overblown, especially about traffic.

“Compare the trips you make going to bars and shops, think about the trips they generate and compare that to a long-stay resort,” Gucciardo said. “The traffic is actually lower. We could help traffic.”

Among the improvements will be a pedestrian overpass on Estero Boulevard and the elimination of eight curb cuts at the future location to end people backing onto the road.

TPI submitted its project Development Order Application to the town in April and anticipates submitting a 900-page Construction Permitting Application in the next few weeks.

If the lawsuits do not result in a halt of construction, ground is expected to be broken by the end of the year, with a goal to complete the resort by 2021.