FORT MYERS BEACH, Fla. — The town of Fort Myers Beach is preparing for the one year remembrance of Hurricane Ian that devastated most of Southwest Florida.
Now, 11 months later, much of the island still needs repairs. But hope is being restored by a local construction company.
After Ian, many of Southwest Florida's local hangouts and landmarks were swept away.
Ryan Kelly, a Southwest Florida local and President of Kelly General Contracting, said, "This is still surreal to see the city of Fort Myers Beach looking the way that it does, even when you drive from the south end of the island all the way up through it's just nothing. Just lots and lots of homes, buildings, that are still untouched pretty much from after the storm.”
Including a symbolic clock that once stood tall in the center of busy Times Square. Keeping time for beach goers in a place where time is usually an after thought. Now, Kelly is helping the iconic clock tower make its comeback.
“No, I think it’s awesome that it’s coming back," said Stacy Hartman, employee of Yo Taco, a beloved beach location. "I think it’s nostalgic to everyone that’s growing up here, lived here.”
Yo Taco recently made the move to Times Square. Doug Kolby, Operations Manager, said he's hopeful the clock will draw people to the area and ultimately their truck.
“We’re looking forward to when it’s finished because the Farmer’s Market is coming in about a week and definitely looking forward to that," said Kolby. "It’ll be all around us so hopefully a lot more people."
On Monday, the town of Fort Myers Beach approved Kelly for the opportunity of a lifetime to give back to his community.
“We've been able to experience some just tremendous growth through this opportunity that the storms created on the contracting side of things," said Kelly. "You know, being local, a lot of our team has a lot of local families that have grown up in this community, so being able to be a part of the rebuilding process, it means a lot to all of us.”
Kelly tells Fox 4 construction is expected to finish by September 15.
