Developer gets tax break for proposed luxury apartment complex in downtown Fort Myers

A  60-unit boutique apartment building called "very unique in the city of Fort Myers" by the developer's attorney, has been approved for a $4 million dollar tax rebate.

Names "The Irving," the planned $25.5 million nine-story project is designed to appeal to what is described as an urban lifestyle in downtown Fort Myers.

The developer is 2401 Bay Street LLC, headed by Rebekah MacFarlane Barney, a daughter of developer Robert MacFarlane, who has been trying to achieve lift-off for Prime Luce towers on the waterfront for a few years. 

The property is the site of a small parking lot at Lee and Bay streets, behind the Garden of Palms, a parcel created by the Fort Myers Garden Club for the city in 1955. The garden is best known as an area where one can learn the origins, appearance and difference between namesake trees growing in the City of Palms. 

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Apartment units are projected to cost $425,000 to build, and are expected to draw rental payments in the vicinity of $2,400 per month.

Plans call for creating 40 two-bedroom and 20 one-bedroom units at "significantly higher" monthly rent than other existing downtown residential sites.

The developer had initially requested a tax break of $4.3 million but it was whittled down a bit Wednesday by the Fort Myers City Council who also serves as the Community Redevelopment Agency board. 

The CRA advisory board had voted 3-2 to trim the request by $1 million. The CRA staff was even less generous, suggesting a $2.9 million rebate. The council settled on $4 million.

Ultimately, the city council voted 4-3 to approve the rebate, with Liston Bochette, Darla Bonk, Fred Burson and Terolyn Watson voted to approve it; Johnny Streets, Teresa Watkins Brown and Mayor Kevin Anderson voted against it.

Anderson said his 'no' vote was because he wants to see an independent analysis of tax breaks instead of rely on advisors hired by developers and CRA leadership.

At nine stories high, the building is being designed to take advantage of river views, a roof-top amenity center deck and an on-site parking garage. 

Hotel designer Dwayne Bergmann has worked on other local projects including the Collaboratory in the historic train station on Jackson Street, and the recently opened rooftop pavillion at the Sidney and Berne Davis Art Center on First Street, both in downtown Fort Myers. 

In building a hotel this size and with a unique urbanized effects to create a boutique experience, the designer sought a combination of urban lifestyles and convenience.

"We originally had it themed as a very straightforward building," Bergmann said. "Now, when you walk into this building, you immediately understand that not only is there quality, but this building makes a cultural statement." 

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Entrance to the building will be at Bay and Lee streets to take advantage of river and yacht basin presence and views. 

"We understand that the views need to overlook the river for the most part," Bergmann said. "We also wanted to make sure to everyone that the staged apartments would be stretched out to see down First Street and the restaurants and other businesses that might be appealing." 

Designers went so far as to commission a "sun" study to make sure that the building got the best views of the sun.

Barney said the project will also take advantage of technology in creating a totally "green" energy environment. 

Developer's attorney Bruce Strayhorn said the project could ultimately be converted into condominium or co-op ownership.

In boosting the project and its new dimension in downtown, Strayhorn ventured as far as to say "we're about done with downtown," although downtown Fort Myers still has many vacant or under-utilized parcels awaiting attention.

The addition of high end apartment complexes at the eastern end of Bay Street has  given rise to renewed discussion, heard at a city council meeting over the summer, of potential changes to the city yacht basin.

Council members have talked in recent months about possibly re-purposing the basin to draw bigger and fancier boats and charging them higher fees. The basin was originally built by and for the working class, which worked with shovels and picks during the Works Progress Administration of the late 1930s.

The developer 4104 Bay Street LLC, said it expects to begin construction by 2022 with completion in 2023.

Before construction, the developer must resolve an issue concerning a block-long city right-of-way known as Vivas Court that stands between the planned site and a Fort Myers Housing Authority building. 

Strayhorn, who is also chairman of the housing authority, said he expects the issue to be resolved, by having the city declare the site no longer needed for municipal purposes.

"There is a question on title," Strayhorn said. "That does have to be addressed, but it wouldn't make a lot of sense to vacate the street if you didn't have a reason to, this(the tax rebate) is the reason."