UPDATE JULY 17:
The US Army Corps has responded to Fox 4's request for more information about the permit.
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.
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."
The spokesperson said the new work is beyond the repair and replacement from the old permit, which is why a new Standard Permit evaluation is needed.
ORIGINAL STORY:
Since Hurricane Ian, the Fort Myers Yacht Basin has sat empty. There are no more boats, you can see destroyed docks and mangled pilings.
"These people made their homes on the water," said Fort Myers Councilman Liston Bochette. "It's heartbreaking to see it empty."
The Fort Myers Yacht Basin is inside the ward he serves.
A company, Suntex Marinas, has a contract to rebuild it. This was already in the works before Hurricane Ian. In April 2022, they presented renderings to the City Council before being selected as the company to make upgrades.
The City of Fort Myers owns the land and the floor the water sits on, so Suntex has a 30-year lease with the city.
Now, two years later with no progress, Fox 4 Senior Reporter Kaitlin Knapp asked Bochette what's taking so long to rebuild it.
"The company can't start until the Army Corps of Engineers and the state EPA checks off on it," he explained. "I think two years now they must be getting to it."
The Army Corps is involved because part of the basin is on a federal channel.
Knapp reached out to the Army Corps, asking what the hold up is. As of Friday afternoon, they are working on the request and attempting to locate the permit request.
"If it delays too long, local government, city, county — it's all in our best interest to go to Washington and rattle some more doors," Bochette said.
Once the green light is given, Bochette says the $50 million project, funded by Suntex, can start. Though there's no hard date yet, Bochette hopes it'll get started by 2025.
For now, it will continue to sit until the federal government gives the thumbs up to move forward.
"That's where we are now is trying to get it back to the future," Bochette said. "meanwhile, it’s a place where the seagulls are happy."
