A 4.6-acre parcel, part of the 22.6-acre former Sanibel Outlets site just east of the Sanibel Causeway, sold for $5.25 million to Wendover Housing Partners, an Altamonte Springs-based affordable housing developer.
The land will be developed into a 200-unit affordable and workforce housing complex, the first step in redeveloping the surrounding property still owned by Bell Tower Campus Limited, a company owned by Sanibel Island’s Dahlmann Family. The Dahlmanns, the former owners of Sanibel Outlets, sold the 4.6-acre parcel without a broker.
The development will be called Helm’s Bay at Grande Calusa. It will front McGregor Boulevard near the former Van Heusen outlet store location and include 88 workforce housing units and 102 affordable housing units.
Signage marks the former Sanibel Outlets site at 20350 Summerlin Road in Fort Myers, where a 4.6-acre parcel recently sold for $5.25 million for affordable and workforce housing development.
David Dorsey
Workforce housing will serve tenants earning up to 120% of the area median income, about $92,500, while affordable housing will be available to tenants earning 60% of area median income, as defined by Florida’s Live Local Act.
The project will be the first of its kind under the Live Local Act in Lee County, said Edgar Wilson, an investor and organizer for Grande Calusa.
Public records show about $20 million of former President Joe Biden’s $1.1 billion Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery program is being considered for funding. Construction costs are estimated at $70 million.
The remaining 18 acres of the former outlet mall property are undergoing rezoning, with developers seeking to convert part of the site’s 160,000 square feet of retail space into hotel units.
LSI Companies is marketing portions of the remaining land. CEO Justin Thibaut said the sale represents an important step in redeveloping the property.
“It’s an exciting step forward for the project, and we look forward to sharing more information about what’s next for the residential and mixed-use components of the site,” Thibaut said.
A vacant portion of the former Sanibel Outlets property in Fort Myers will be developed into a 200-unit affordable and workforce housing complex as part of the planned Grande Calusa project.
David Dorsey
The site, at 20350 Summerlin Road, is zoned for up to 297 additional units beyond the Helm’s Bay apartments, which could include condominiums or market-rate apartments. Some of the 160,000 square feet of existing retail space could also be converted into hotel rooms, Wilson said.
The development order states Grande Calusa can include, contingent upon private business interest, a mix of commercial, retail and residential uses.
Plans call for a 5,001-square-foot single-story commercial or restaurant building (Building 1); a 4,257-square-foot single-story commercial or restaurant building (Building 2); a 5,070-square-foot single-story retail building (Building 3); a 6,823-square-foot single-story commercial building with a 1,408-square-foot restaurant patio (Building 4); and a 6,835-square-foot single-story commercial building with a 2,738-square-foot restaurant patio (Building 5). The project also includes a 13,625-square-foot single-story arts center (Building 6); a 2,238-square-foot single-story retail building (Building 7); a 3,733-square-foot single-story retail building (Building 8); a 1,489-square-foot single-story retail building (Building 9); and a 4,355-square-foot single-story commercial building with a 734-square-foot restaurant patio (Building 11).
A rendering depicts the proposed Grande Calusa mixed-use development, which will include residential towers, commercial space and affordable housing near the Sanibel Causeway.
Grande Calusa
Residential components include a three-story parking structure with a 200-unit multifamily building for workforce and affordable housing, along with an 18-story, 148-unit Tower East (Building 12), and an 18-story Tower West with 149 multifamily units built over three levels of parking (Building 13). The plan also allows for a 72,025-square-foot, six-story commercial office building constructed over parking (Building 14).
“We are currently going through rezoning at the urging of the county and the tourist development council,” Wilson said. “They’re strongly recommending [rezoning] because of all what’s needed in terms of hotels. They suggested we go and rezone a portion of the 160,000 square feet for a full-service hotel. We’re in the middle of pursuing that right now.”
One building remains on the site. The former Dante’s Italian Grill & Bar will serve as a sales office for planned condominium towers.
The former Sanibel Outlets property near the Sanibel Causeway in Fort Myers is being redeveloped into the mixed-use Grande Calusa project, including a new affordable and workforce housing complex.
David Dorsey
Under the current development order, Lee County has approved 14 buildings for the property, ranging from small commercial and retail structures to two 18-story residential towers built over parking, along with an arts center and office building.
To meet Live Local Act requirements, the development team partnered with Wendover Housing Partners, an experienced workforce and affordable housing developer. Led by founder and CEO Jonathan Wolf, the company has built 54 communities over more than 40 years and currently has 3,334 units in development, according to its website.
Wilson said his business partner, Jim Eaton, connected with Wendover through consultant Jeff Sharkey.
“And that is the way we approached them,” Wilson said.
The development team also enlisted Fort Myers attorney Bruce Strayhorn for legal work.
“All I did was help the applicant prepare an argument that would show why they were qualified and probably the most shovel-ready, ready to go,” Strayhorn said. “The clock’s ticking. At a certain time, that window’s going to close. We wanted to get this in before the window closed. There’s no magic, it’s just plain old hard work.”
Wilson said construction on the affordable and workforce housing complex is expected to begin by the end of March.