Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre is expected to remain as part of the planned redevelopment of Royal Palm Square in Fort Myers. Much of the surrounding shopping center would be demolished under the proposed mixed-use project.
Evan Williams
Developers behind a mixed-use overhaul of Royal Palm Square in Fort Myers plan to expand the project’s size and scope with more apartments, commercial space and parking — but fewer hotel rooms.
Fort Myers City Council set a public hearing for Aug. 17 to consider property owner Royal Palms Square LLC’s request to amend its Planned Unit Development, or PUD, for the property at 1380 Colonial Blvd.
The aging 1980s shopping plaza sits along one of the area’s busiest corridors, near the intersection of Colonial and McGregor boulevards just before the Midpoint Bridge. It is home to the popular Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre and several other existing businesses, including a gym and salon. Those businesses are expected to remain, but much of the existing property is slated for demolition.
If approved, the amendment would modify the PUD approved in 2024 by expanding the property from 12.64 acres to 14.09 acres. The site has a taxable value of $11.4 million. The proposal would increase one-bedroom apartments from 160 to 197 units, two-bedroom apartments from 240 to 296 units, commercial space from 250,000 to 288,000 square feet, and parking from 1,437 to 1,616 spaces, while reducing the hotel component from 175 to 150 rooms.
The Royal Palm Square shopping center in Fort Myers is proposed for a major mixed-use redevelopment that would add apartments, commercial space and parking while retaining existing businesses such as Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre.
Evan Williams
The additional acreage includes undeveloped townhome parcels, allowing the project to remain consistent with its approved density of 35 dwelling units per acre and the maximum building height of 200 feet for multifamily, commercial and office uses.
“The goal is to promote ingenuity, innovation and imagination in the planning, design and redevelopment of the Royal Palm Square area,” according to a letter from EnSite Inc. requesting the PUD amendment on behalf of developer Alessio Companies.
The Fort Myers Planning Board voted 4-2 on July 1 to recommend that City Council deny the request, citing concerns that the additional residential units would worsen traffic and conflict with the city’s comprehensive plan. City staff, however, recommended approval, concluding that the additional acreage adequately supports the proposed changes, including a reduction in parking requirements.