An online campaign has raise more than $5,000 to challenge the city's right to build a hotel and parking garage in downtown Ft. Myers.
Charles Powell's family owned the land the where the hotel is planned at the turn of the 1900's.
When they sold the land to the city in the 1930's, they claim the deed only allowed for development of marinas, and parks not a huge hotel.
But city officials sound un-phased, in a statement Friday a spokesperson said:
"Construction of the Luminary Hotel, parking garage, event center and amphitheater will bring beautiful new facilities, community amenities and approximately 250 post-construction jobs to downtown Fort Myers. The city is moving forward on the project at the recommendation of our attorneys, who are confident the title issue will be resolved."
Former Ft. Myers Mayor Jim Humphrey is representing the city in this matter.
He says the language in the deed doesn't clearly forbid the city from building on that site, and believes a judge will side with his client if the issue reaches a courtroom.
