FORT MYERS BEACH, Fla. — Fort Myers Beach is racing against the clock to submit an updated comprehensive plan to the state by December, outlining how the island will grow, rebuild and preserve its character. To help visualize that future, consultants are using artificial intelligence to create images based on public input.
Watch as Fort Myers Beach Community Correspondent Anvar Ruziev takes the AI images to Times Square:
During a joint meeting with the Town Council and the Local Planning Agency on Thursday, a consulting firm hired by the town for over $140,000 presented renderings and AI-generated images of what Fort Myers Beach could look like in the future.
The consultants said these images were generated using prompts based on the vision and words provided by the public about what they believe the town's future should be.
Eric Sharp, a visitor to Fort Myers Beach, found the AI-generated images appealing when I showed them to him.
"It looks beautiful, this was AI and everything? Wow this looks awesome," Sharp said.
When asked if the images aligned with how he'd like to see the town develop, Sharp confirmed they did.
"I've got pictures, in the town in the square, I got pictures of me eating ice cream at the dairy queen, and I have my kids out here now so I would love to have those pictures too with my family," Sharp said.
Consultants reported receiving 118 survey responses and conducting multiple workshops to gather community input. The predominant themes included maintaining the small-town atmosphere, limiting high-rise development, and creating a more walkable island.
The AI-generated images reflect this vision, showing low-scale buildings, porches, open spaces, and abundant greenery throughout the town.
Officials emphasized the importance of meeting the submission deadline, warning that missing it could erase years of progress.
"If we do not meet that deadline, you will be back to square one where we were several years ago," Eddward Ng, a consultant for the Town of Fort Myers Beach, said.
The consultants plan to return in September for a second reading, with the goal of submitting the final comprehensive plan to the state before the December 1st deadline.
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