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A rendering of TPI’s plans for a new Silver Sands Resort at 1207 Estero Boulevard on Fort Myers Beach. Rendering provided
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A rendering of TPI’s plans for a new Silver Sands Resort at 1207 Estero Boulevard on Fort Myers Beach. Rendering provided
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An overhead view of what the new Silver Sands Resort would look like along Estero Boulevard on Fort Myers Beach. Rendering provided
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A rendering of TPI’s plans for a new Silver Sands Resort at 1207 Estero Boulevard on Fort Myers Beach., next to The Whale. Rendering provided
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The former Silver Sands Resort before Hurricane Ian. File photo
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Silver Sands, the iconic Fort Myers Beach resort, before it was destroyed by Hurricane Ian. File photo
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The former Silver Sands Resort before Hurricane Ian. File photo
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The former Silver Sands Resort before Hurricane Ian. File photo
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TPI founder Tom Torgerson has announced plans to build a five-story hotel at the former Silver Sands Resort property located across from Margaritaville Beach Resort on Fort Myers Beach.
Torgerson, who helped build Margaritaville, said the new 60-room hotel will be separate from Margaritaville though guests will have access to all of the facilities at Margaritaville, including the pool. He expects the plans to go in front of the town in June.
“We need the additional suites to compliment Margaritaville,” Torgerson said. “The season was great and outlook is great.”
TPI acquired the Silver Sands property on Estero Boulevard in 2023 for $7.1 million, months after the cottages on site were destroyed by Hurricane Ian. There were 22 cottages and a pool at Silver Sands before Hurricane Ian, with the property dating back to the 1920’s.
TPI initially announced plans to build a resort on the lot but a year after purchasing the .74 acre lot at 1207 Estero Boulevard, TPI-FMB put the land up for sale, asking $9.9 million.
Now, Torgerson is working with John Dammermann of TPI to build a new 60-room hotel on the land which would be known as the Silver Sands Resort. Torgerson said the hotel would act quasi-independently of Margaritaville, though guests would have access to all of the amenities at Margaritaville and could put charges at Margaritaville on their Silvers Sands Resort room bill.
“Guests will have access to every amenity at Margaritaville, the gym and wellness classes, the beach club, the chairs on the beach, the spa, all restaurants and bars, be able to make all Margaritaville charges to their Silver Sands room, etc.,” Torgerson said in an email.
Torgerson’s plan is to build a 5 1/2 story building, which would need a deviation from town code, which limits the height to four stories (three stories over one floor of parking). According to renderings, the pool would be on the roof of the hotel overlooking Estero Boulevard.
“The top story has four penthouses in the middle of it and a pool on the Estero Boulevard side of the penthouses,” Torgerson explained.
The rooms would be larger than Margaritaville, with square footage between 600 to 900 square feet. The rooms at Margaritaville are approximately 350 square feet, Torgerson said.
The first floor would be for parking. Renderings also show retail space on the first floor. Torgerson said TPI would lease out space for a retail shop. He said there would be no bars or restaurants at the hotel.
The Silver Sands property is currently being used as an office for the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, as well as for parking for employees of Margaritaville Beach Resort.
Under the plans related by Torgerson, there would be 46 parking spaces on site, which would also require a deviation from parking requirements in the town’s land development code. Parking has been a constant issue downtown.
The property is located at the busy intersection of Estero Boulevard and Primo Drive. On the other side of Primo Drive facing Estero Boulevard, is The Whale. When the Whale rebuild was approved, town council waived parking requirements under the town code.
Torgerson said he expects the project would need other deviations aside from height and parking.
“We are doing the Commercial Planned Development process. There are a lot of deviations to go with the Coastal Modern Architecture,” Torgerson said. Torgerson expects the plans to be heard by the Fort Myers Beach Local Planning Agency in June. The Town of Fort Myers Beach Council would ultimately have to approve a new Commercial Planned Development.
Former Fort Myers Beach Mayor Tracey Gore, who lives nearby, questioned how the town could allow the hotel to be built beyond what is permitted by town code. “I don’t know how they get (nearly) three times as many units as what was there before,” Gore said.
“Primo is a narrow residential street,” Gore said. “We cannot take that kind of added traffic to our already compromised street. Many residents live on Primo and have to come and go for work, doctor appointments, and God forbid when we need fire/EMT for emergencies. It is unsafe if the LPA recommends approval and council does approve that many units plus what looks like extra retail down a residential street.”
An announcement of the purchase in 2023 included plans for the property being used as an extension of the Margaritaville Resort with balcony suites and parking underneath. The original plan was to open in 2025. Torgerson said it would take a year to design the new hotel plans once approved by the town, and then 18 months to build, which would put the timeline for the opening in late 2028 or early 2029.
The property, which has access to a canal, previously changed hands in 2001 when Andrea Carriere and Thomas Groves acquired the land for $1.075 million.