Estero Beach Club gets paradise back
They have their Fort Myers Beach paradise back.
More than three years after Hurricane Ian knocked out their roof and cut through the first three floors of their building closest to the Gulf, the condo owners at Estero Beach Club have repaired, and have their way of life back.
Two months ago, though, their courtyard and pool area was still a construction zone, said Estero Beach Club Board Vice President Mike Muirhead.
“Over one week, we had eight contractors come in with their Bobcats, they graded, they put in the irrigation, landscaping, a geothermal well, piping,” Muirhead said. “They drilled through conduits, plumbing, the cooperation with the subcontractors was just phenomenal.”
The general contractor on the work was John Yeager. Muirhead credited the mechanical engineering background of himself and board president Chris Thomas in helping along the project. “It really helped make it run smooth, ” Muirhead said. “It’s a really good feeling” to see the work completed, he said. “It’s worth it.”
Property manager and unit owner Jennifer Tuggle said the pool was drained and completely resurfaced, with all new tiles and new pool pavers.
It has been a long road of recovery for Estero Beach Club, whose owners had to gut 48 condo units across their two buildings. There was extensive structural work and utility work, with exposed sewer lines repaired and 50-year-old exposed plumbing repaired. Submarine class doors were installed along the electrical rooms to provide waterproof protection from a future storm.
“I think the place looks better, Everything is fresh and new,” Tuggle said. “We are pretty proud of it. It took a long time, and lots of work to get here.”
Recovering insurance reimbursements was time-consuming, with owners putting up front much of the money to repair the buildings before they were reimbursed for much of the work. The owners had to pay assessments to help fund the repair work. “We are still not completely done with insurance,” Tuggle said. “We still have to finish up our flood claims.”
Tuggle, who also owns a unit on the first floor, stayed at friend’s home across the street during Hurricane Ian. Luckily, she stayed at a three-story home. The water reached the second floor of the building.
When she returned to her unit at Estero Beach Club, it had been totaled. “Everything was completely gone,” Tuggle said.
Photos of Debbie Browell’s residence at Estero Beach Club on Fort Myers Beach after Hurricane Ian. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
Debbie Browell’s first floor unit at Estero Beach Club was also totaled.
“Water was up to the ceilings,” Browell said. “We had just bought new furniture and carper before Hurricane Ian,” she said. “We had just put in new baseboard and bought a new refrigerator.” One of the few items she was able to recover was a picture of the old Times Square, which she had purchased at a flea market. The picture was found across the street by Tuggle three weeks after Hurricane Ian.
“We were helping a neighbor with cleanup after the storm. It was tangled in some landscaping next to their fence,” Tuggle said. She knew the picture belonged to Browell and reunited the picture with her. “When everything is gone and you find something that is yours, it is special,” Tuggle said.
The picture, which has since been restored, now hangs on the wall of the building’s community laundromat.
The units in one of the buildings first opened in October, and then the second building’s units opened in November. The majority of the units are two bedrooms and two bathroom condos, with 10 of them smaller one bedroom units.
The Estero Beach Club, not to be confused with the Estero Island Beach Club rebuilding a couple blocks down the road next to the Diamondhead Beach Resort, or the Estero Beach Tennis Club on the south end, is located directly across from the new Fort Myers Beach Fire Control District Fire Station at 2580 Estero Boulevard. The Estero Beach Club buildings date back to the 1970’s, with the oldest building constructed in 1972.
All of the units are individually owned, with most if the units being used part of the year as vacation rentals, said Jennifer Tuggle, who runs the office and helps handle the rentals. Tuggle said there has been a lot of interest in rentals at the units since they have reopened. “A lot of people came in March. We are fully booked (next) February,” she said. “I think some people are still weary of coming back. We are up. We are good. We are ready to go.”
Those wishing to inquire about vacation rentals at Estero Beach Club can reach Tuggle at Esterobeachclub@aol.com.