DOWNTOWN FORT MYERS, Fla. — The Fort Myers Yacht Basin could sit empty until at least next summer. That's because the Economic Development Director told Fox 4 Senior Reporter Kaitlin Knapp the Army Corps says it may take that long to approve the permit.
At the Economic Development Advisory Board meeting, Steve Weathers provided board members with an update on the basin.
Information obtained by Knapp details the timeline for the permit application submitted by Suntex, the company in charge of redesigning the yacht basin.
FOX 4's Kaitlin Knapp explains what happened in today's meeting:
According to a spokesperson, the Nationwide Permit (NWP) submitted by Suntex in April 2022 was issued on Dec. 15, 2023. In this permit, it allowed the repair and replacement of the docks.
However, the Corps says there was another permit application submitted in early June 2024.
It's this permit that Weathers says could take until next summer to approve.
In the new application, the Corps says there's a request to "fill in a large portion of the marina basin, dredging and an entire redesign of the marina that would place docking structures closer to the federal channel."
Until then, the yacht basin will have to sit empty.
Board members did ask Weathers to get updated renderings of the yacht basin. The previous renderings were done before Hurricane Ian.
More from today's meeting below including an update on Lee Memorial:
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Permit for Fort Myers Yacht Basin resubmitted, pushing back rebuild
