FORT MYERS, Fla. — Residents in Fort Myers are voicing strong opposition to a proposed 11-story Hilton Hotel in the city's historic district, with some dubbing it the "Godzilla Hotel" plan due to its towering height compared to surrounding buildings.
The hotel would be built on a vacant quarter-acre lot off Jackson and First Streets, reaching the same height as the Luminary Hotel.
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"This one is egregiously in violation of the national standards for historic preservation," said Dr. Virginia Harper, president of Lee Trust for Historic Preservation.
"None of those are met with this building," Harper said.
Harper expressed concern that the proposed hotel would overshadow the Sydney & Berne Davis Art Center, which locals consider the premier historic structure in Fort Myers.
"It will dwarf the Sydney Byrne Davis, which is directly across the street. It is the building most people come to see. Most people want to socialize. Most people come to events," Harper said.
The developer initially received approval from the Historical Preservation Board for a 9-story building, but returned in June requesting two additional stories, bringing the total to 11.
Critics argue the 150-room hotel with approximately 100 employees would overwhelm the small site and create parking problems downtown.
"They're going to be leasing space in the parking garage. We only have two big parking structures in downtown. There's already a big parking problem here," said Raymond Aulen, a downtown property owner and previous Historical Preservation Board member.
During a recent meeting, Terry Cramer, attorney for the developers, confirmed they have a parking agreement with the City of Fort Myers.
"We have a parking agreement with the City of Fort Myers for 60 parking spots and the parking garage behind it. We've had it for several years. We are evaluating that through the PUD process to see if that's a number that's sufficient if we do go the extra 35 hotel rooms," Cramer said.
Community members are urging residents to attend city council meetings and contact elected officials before the project receives final approval.
"Just make yourself heard. Come to the council meeting. Send some letters to their council people and the mayor. Otherwise, they'll get steamrolled, and then they'll end up with these things that aren't what they want," Aulen said.
Aulen argues that while the Luminary Hotel is outside the core downtown area, this proposed hotel would be in the heart of the historic district near the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center.
"All the way down to the library, you've got, you know, two or three story buildings in this direction, and two and three story buildings in that direction," Aulen said.
Both Harper and Aulen emphasized they aren't opposed to a hotel in principle, but rather object to the size and scale of the current proposal, which they feel doesn't fit with the historic charm of the area.
The Historic Preservation Committee has voted to forward the developer's proposal to the City Council for another vote on Monday. If approved, developers plan to build more than 100 rooms and create new job opportunities in downtown Fort Myers.
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