County commissioners approve $15M project to reconstruct Main Street on San Carlos Island
The Lee County Board of County Commissioners have voted to approve spending $15 million of a federal grant towards the paving and reconstruction of Main Street on San Carlos Island.
The Fort Myers Beach project includes the acquisition of Olsen Marina at 1100 Main Street for $1.7 million plus $110,000 in estimated closing costs.
The project is being funded by Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) infrastructure funds, which will be used by the Lee County Department of Transportation for the San Carlos Island property acquisition, flood mitigation and resiliency improvements. The project will include parcel acquisition and the reconstruction and improvement of Main Street, including roadway and drainage improvements to enhance the corridor’s safety, functionality, and resilience, the county announced on Tuesday.
On Sept. 1, the county commissioners approved a purchase agreement for Olsen Marina, which covers approximately 28,358 square feet of land located at 1100 Main Street on Fort Myers Beach. The purchase price of $1.7 million is based upon two appraisals, along with an additional $110,000 in estimated closing costs. The purchase agreement authorizes the County Manager or designee to terminate the agreement if due diligence items are not acceptable to Lee County.
The county had previously voted last year to go under contract for purchasing that property. for $1.9 million though that acquisition was delayed. The county is planning to build a boat ramp on the San Carlos Island marina.
The county commissioners have been looking into construction of a boat ramp on the island since Hurricane Ian devastated a whole section of the waterfront there.
Olsen Marina has not been an active marina since Hurricane Ian.
County officials met with residents on San Carlos Island earlier this year to talk about future plans for Main Street, which include the use of a $7.5 million state grant to rebuild San Carlos Maritime Park further down Main Street. The park housed Trico Shrimp and shrimp boats. There is also an old school building there. The county is planning to replace and expand the seawall and allow for new boat docks to accommodate more shrimp boats, along with a new parking lot and bulkhead to accommodate emergency operations. The county is also expecting a dredging project further out in the bay. The project will also include new drainage and the cutting down of some trees.
The road improvements are expected to help traffic along Main Street, which is a narrow road, and to help whether flooding from a future storm. During Hurricane Ian, the road was badly flooded, with boats washing up and blocking the road.
On Tuesday, Lee County commissioners also approved more than $900,000 in funding for the Town of Fort Myers Beach to conduct beach and shoreline maintenance, and for a beach access at Albratross Road.
Also this week, FEMA announced it was awarding $3.8 million for Lee County for debris removal and repairs to recreational facilities, including Bowditch Point Beach Park’s pier and boardwalk damaged by Hurricane Ian’s storm surge, high winds and debris.