Fort Myers plans to purchase 2.3 acres of vacant land off Colonial Boulevard to complete a time-sensitive roadway extension project, but the property owner is seeking $2 million, nearly 25% more than its appraised value.
The acquisition would allow the city to extend Challenger Boulevard about three-quarters of a mile from Colonial Boulevard to Winkler Avenue, completing the project alongside the new Lee Health Fort Myers hospital complex, which is set to open in 2028.
At a Feb. 17 meeting, City Council voted 4-3 to move forward with a March 2 public hearing on the proposed purchase of property at 4011 Colonial Blvd., which includes 2.02 acres of vacant land and a 0.28-acre slope easement.
The site is zoned for general commercial use. It is owned by 4011 Colonial LLC and managed by Estero-based commercial brokerage Trinity Commercial Group, which did not immediately return a request for comment.
Construction continues on the new Lee Health hospital near Colonial Boulevard and Challenger Boulevard in Fort Myers. The roadway extension project would improve access to the medical campus, set to open in 2028.
Evan Williams
Council members Liston Bochette, Fred Burson and Diana Giraldo voted against proceeding with the hearing.
Although the project has been planned for more than a decade, city officials consider the extension increasingly urgent. Fort Myers is coordinating with Lee Health and the Florida Department of Transportation to complete the project alongside Lee Health’s new hospital, which is expected to include up to 260 private rooms and ancillary facilities on 53 acres across Colonial Boulevard on Challenger Boulevard.
“It was mainly a timing thing,” City Manager Marty Lawing said. “We negotiated about as hard as we could, but the owner said this is my bottom line.”
The extension also would provide an alternate route to help relieve growing congestion at Colonial Boulevard and Winkler Avenue.
Evan Williams
If the purchase is not approved, the city could pursue eminent domain, which allows a government agency to take private property for public use. The process could allow the city to take title to the land in as little as 30 days, but it could ultimately cost more because of potential severance damages, legal expenses and other fees, adding roughly one-third to the final price, City Attorney Grant Alley said.
Fort Myers-based appraisal firm Maxwell, Hendry & Simmons valued the property at $1,549,163 in June 2025.
Burson objected to the $2 million price, suggesting the property owner should donate the right of way because the project would improve the site
“We’re buying the right of way and then making the improvement,” Burson said.
Bochette noted the roadway extension also benefits Lee Health by improving access to its new hospital.
The site off Colonial Boulevard in Fort Myers where the city plans to extend Challenger Boulevard to help ease traffic congestion and improve access to Lee Health’s new hospital.
Evan Williams
Lawing said Lee Health has already contributed funding for a planned traffic signal on the southbound lanes of a three-legged intersection at Challenger Boulevard and Colonial Boulevard.
If City Council approves the purchase March 2, the sale is expected to close within 90 days and would be funded through road impact fees, city staff said.