Burnt Store Road area residents ask for stakeholder meetingPolice believe car found in water at Trailhead Neighborhood Park connected to carjacking
(AP Photo/Richard Drew, File) A massive new Amazon warehouse, larger than the Edison Mall, could be coming to Fort Myers. The nearly 1.5 million-square-foot warehouse and distribution center would sit on land east of I-75 and north of State Road 82. Our partners at Gulfshore Business broke this story, reporting if the city gives its OK, it will sit on what’s currently about 300 acres of vacant land . It would flank and potentially surround Lexington Palms at the Forum, a 302-unit apartment complex built about 20 years ago. The developer posted signs along Dr. Martlin Luther King Blvd. to advertise a public hearing, which will happen next Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. at the city’s board adjustment meeting at City Hall. The hearing is for a “conditional use request” to allow the 1,479,813-square-foot warehouse and distribution center. There’s still some mystery around who the developer is. Still, Gulfshore Business reporter David Dorsey said, while Amazon’s name is not on any paperwork yet, Fort Myers Mayor Kevin Anderson told him it’s not hard to connect the dots. “I think most people can figure it out,” Anderson said. “At least at that meeting, they’re going to have to reveal themselves. But it’s a company that distributes stuff. We’re very grateful for the idea. It could be bringing in 2,000 jobs at least.” The land is owned by Charles Huether of Fort Myers under two companies. C-Hack LLC purchased the western chunk of land for $2.2 million in June 2003, property records show. Keystone Creek LLC bought the property just to the south of the apartment complex for $945,300 in October 2004. Keystone Creek LLC bought the largest of the involved parcels for $5.6 million in March 2004 and another parcel for $1.3 million in February 2004. Huether and his company could not be reached for comment. Amazon just opened a sortation facility last month off Alico Road in south Fort Myers next to a last-mile delivery center that’s slated to open next year. Those come in at more than 275,000 square feet.