Fort Myers City Council approved expansion plans for Fort Myers-based mechanical contractor B&I Contractors during a public hearing at its regular meeting Feb. 17.
One of the area’s few 100% employee-owned businesses, B&I plans to develop 256,620 square feet of industrial space, including outdoor storage, at its headquarters at 2701 to 2735 Prince St.
To allow the project, council members changed the Future Land Use Classification on about 10 of the 26.8 acres B&I owns from Residential to Medium Density Industrial at the company’s request. The measure passed unanimously without comment, and no members of the public spoke. The Fort Myers Planning Board previously recommended approval.
The property is bounded by Canal Street to the north, South Street to the south, Prince Street to the west and Ford Street to the east, and is zoned for residential multifamily and heavy industrial uses.
Single-family detached homes are located adjacent to the site. B&I said it will screen outdoor storage areas from view and install a 50-foot-wide buffer on the northern property line and a 40-foot-wide buffer on the eastern edge to reduce the impact on nearby residents.Â