One of the busiest corners on Fort Myers Beach is a step closer to being rebuilt. This week the town’s Local Planning Agency approved a plan that clears the way for Surf Style to put a two-story retail building on the narrow lot at 159/161 Old San Carlos Boulevard, beside the store’s existing shop where Old San Carlos meets Estero Boulevard.
The proposal calls for roughly 9,900 square feet of floor area across two levels, on a lot just under 5,800 square feet. Because the site is walk-by retail rather than a destination stop, the LPA granted a variance from the code’s 15-space parking requirement and tied the approval to an agreement for 10 spaces at a nearby private lot. The property is under contract and expected to close soon. The plans still need Town Council approval before anything is built.
The lot has stood empty since Tropical Sunset — a family-run apparel shop that had been selling on that corner since the mid-1970s — was lost. A real building here is a visible sign of the island’s commercial core filling back in: two blocks from the sand, a short walk from Times Square and the pier district.
For anyone staying on the island, that is the practical version of progress — a walkable downtown strip with more to do on foot and fewer reasons to move the car.
Source: Beach Talk Radio News — “LPA Approves Expanded Surf Style Building”
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