“Olde Seaport Village” one step closer to coming to FMB

Author: Megan Contreras
Published: Updated:

FORT MYERS BEACH, Fla.- A historic look, an old seaport concept, is now in the works for part of Fort Myers Beach. It will be called “Olde Seaport Village, and only WINK News has seen the design. WINK News has more on the project that many say will revitalize the history intended for Old San Carlos Boulevard.

“We hear ‘go, kudos, great, can’t wait,’ that type of thing,” said owner Rob Degennaro.

It’s a project that has been in the works for a while  for the owner of Nervous Nellies. He is now one step closer to bringing “The Olde Seaport Village” to Fort Myers Beach.

“The old seaport look, the historic look, I think every one is behind it 100 percent, I love it, I absolutely love it.”

The zoning has been approved, t will go where the old Snug Harbor restaurant used to be, right next to Nervous Nellies.

“Just like I said inside, I feel like a kid on Christmas morning.”

Here’s what the old seaport will look like. It will have a deli, outdoor seating, new floating docks, and a museum. A nearby ice cream parlor just opened less than a week ago and the owner loves the idea.

“People will discover us and see that FMB has a lot more to offer than just Times Square,” said Co-owner Nicki Wilson.

Right now the land is approved for over 109,000 square feet of development, this new concept will only use 11, 436 square feet for the entire project.

“It will put the finishing touches on what we call Bay Walk. It will connect the pier to the back bay.”

But some Snug Harbor condo owners are not on board. They’re worried about traffic, the smell of food and noise.

“The area where they are living will be an exciting, vitalized area and actually increase the value of their property,” said Vice Chair of the LPA, Joanne Shamp.

The Local Planning Agency approved the zoning with some rules– those include things such as hours of operation, acoustic music inside only, and no deliveries in the middle of the night. This will go in front of council in January. If approved, they expect to start the work on the new village in April or May.

Copyright ©2024 Fort Myers Broadcasting. All rights reserved.

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without prior written consent.