FORT MYERS BEACH, Fla. — The Arches Bayfront project received final approval from the Fort Myers Beach Town Council with a 4-1 vote, clearing the way for construction to begin on the resort.
Watch as Fort Myers Beach Community Correspondent Anvar Ruziev speaks with the owner of Moss Marina about what's next for the property:
Mayor Dan Allers cast the lone dissenting vote, expressing concerns about the project's density and compatibility with town codes.
"Asking for a 200% increase in density is something is difficult for me to get behind," Mayor Allers said.
Despite recommendations for denial from town staff, the council approved both the project and a zoning change to allow the large-scale resort to operate, a decision the mayor warned could set a precedent.
"To me this opens a door that's never been opened on this island," Mayor Allers said.
Property owner Ben Freeland can now build up to 263 hotel units on his five-acre property, with the tallest building reaching just over 100 feet. The resort will include a public restaurant, bar, and bayside boardwalk with retail shops.
The project has been significantly scaled down from its initial proposal, which called for 400 hotel rooms. After pushback from neighbors and the Local Planning Agency, developers revised their plans.
"We just kind of retooled our development team, looked at the development overall and tried to find some common ground between what we're hearing from the community, what we're hearing from the council, staff, and we just think we found a real sweet spot that we felt was going to be good for the island," Freeland said. "I said from the beginning, if I didn't think the project was good for the island, I really didn't want to do it."
The Local Planning Agency unanimously recommended approval for the updated project in April.
Freeland indicated they will be selecting contractors soon and expects to make new announcements about the project within three months.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE:
Scaled-Down Arches Bayfront project resubmitted on Fort Myers Beach
Arches project on Fort Myers Beach gets unanimous advisory board approval
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
