Groundbreaking on a long-awaited hotel in Fort Myers River District is slated to begin this spring.
"It's probably been on the order of three or four decades-long that this has been trying to come forward," said Fort Myers Mayor Randall Henderson.
Mainsail Lodging and Development signed on to a 99-year lease with the City of Fort Myers to take over management of the Harborside Event Center, and develop a 225-room hotel.
The high-end facility will be a Marriott Autograph Collection hotel which will be uniquely crafted to reflect Fort Myers' history and culture.
"It really will be a boutique individually, uniquely branded concept just for downtown Fort Myers," said Norwood Smith, Sales & Marketing Director Mainsail Lodging and Development.
A name for the hotel hasn't been chosen yet, and Smith says the final design is also still in the works. Mainsail and Lodging is investing $48 million into the project which also features a new parking garage. The city will kick-in $9 million of taxpayer money for renovations to the Harborside Event Center.
"All total we're estimating right about $60 to $61 million in improvements and that's a substantial economic impact for our river district," said Mayor Henderson.
The hotel will feature two restaurants, a culinary training center, and a rooftop lounge and pool. City officials hope to attract large groups to the area, while also giving a boost to existing businesses.
"Having them here will create a sense of synergy among all restaurants," said Mayor Henderson. "It will lift up the activity for all those who are doing business in the river district," he added.
Groundbreaking on the project is slated for mid-april and many are looking forward to taking the city's tourism offerings to new heights.
"This has a very dramatic economic ripple effect that will aid us substantially for years to come," said Mayor Henderson.
