Descendants of deed owners fight against Luminary Hotel plans

A deed debacle continues over the construction of the Luminary Hotel as more than a dozen people are fighting to protect their ancestors’ past.

The City of Fort Myers had already started construction on the 12-story hotel when an uncovered 1936 property deed brought it to a halt.

The restrictions on the deed reveal the land, which is less than nine-tenths of an acre, can’t be used for business purposes.

At least 15 descendants of the original deed owners wrote letters to the city, expressing frustrations over the city’s construction plans.

“That’s wrong. The deed is in place for a certain specific reason … to keep the open space for the people, for the community. Not for the developers to make money,” Fort Myers resident Kathy Savignac said.

The city filed a Quiet Title Lawsuit on May 16, but a hearing to determine whether or not they have that right has not yet been set.

The city told WINK News despite the letters, they plan to move forward with the suit and the project.

If the deed issue isn’t resolved and the project falls through, the city would have to pay back the developer Mainsail $1.5 million.