What's actually going on at Fort Myers Beach

The island's most-asked-about project. Lee County awarded an $11.7 million construction contract in April 2026, federal permits were announced as approved at the end of June 2026, and the rebuilt pier is expected to take about a year to build — putting completion in 2027. The replacement is meaningfully bigger than the pier Ian destroyed.

Length

1,000 feet (about 70% longer than the old pier)

Width

12 feet (about 50% wider)

Contract

$11.7 million

Contractor

RJ Gorman Contracting LLC

Funding

$7M Tourist Development Tax (visitor 'bed tax') + $4.7M Florida Division of Emergency Management

Federal permits

Announced approved, June 30, 2026

Expected completion

2027

Amenities

ADA access, bench seating, turtle-friendly lighting

Full pier rebuild breakdown →

The Big Carlos Pass project — the bridge at the island's south end connecting toward Lovers Key and Bonita — was marked with a ribbon-cutting on June 30, 2026. Access infrastructure matters enormously on a barrier island with only two ways on and off.

Ribbon cutting

June 30, 2026

Why it matters

South-end access route for the island

Major sand placement rebuilt the beach berm and widened the shoreline, with dune stabilization and vegetation work continuing on select segments. Reporting in 2026 describes the beach itself as being in as good or better shape than before the storm — the island's single most-visited asset is back.

Scope

Berm rebuild, widened beach, dune stabilization

Status

Largely complete; vegetation work ongoing

In January 2026 the town approved the first permanent new building in Times Square since Hurricane Ian erased the district: a three-story project with an open-air ice cream shop at street level and a one-bedroom residence above. Modest in size, but a genuine milestone — it's the first structure to clear the town's post-Ian standards in the island's commercial heart.

Approved

January 2026

Type

Three stories — open-air ice cream shop + one-bedroom residence

Why it matters

First permanent Times Square building approved since Ian

Developer Shlomo Melloul filed plans in 2026 for a three-story building spanning two Times Square parcels, proposed to include retail, a restaurant, and a rooftop bar. Filed plans are not approvals — this one is worth watching as it moves through the town's process.

Filed

2026

Scope

Three stories across two Times Square parcels

Proposed uses

Retail, restaurant, rooftop bar

Status

Plans filed — not yet built

The 254-room resort opened in December 2023 — the first large-scale hospitality anchor of the island's recovery, and the project that proved major investment would return to Fort Myers Beach. It has now operated through multiple seasons.

Opened

December 2023

Rooms

254

Significance

First major post-Ian hospitality anchor

A $13 million resort project was reported to begin construction on the island in early July 2026 — further evidence that hospitality capital is committing to Fort Myers Beach, not just returning to it.

Value

$13 million

Construction start

Early July 2026