A graffiti-covered building in South Fort Myers has been an eyesore for years, and residents are eager to see it fixed. The building is located on Presidential Court near the Florida SouthWestern State College campus.
WINK News first reported on this issue in March when the building’s owners anticipated repairs by winter. However, as December approaches, the building remains in disrepair.
WINK News reporter Maddie Herron provided updates live from the scene, noting that Lee County reported several active code violations on the property. These include roof maintenance, debris buildup, and overall building upkeep.
A contact listed on the county’s code enforcement website confirmed that his team is aware of these violations and is working on addressing them. Despite this, locals are growing impatient.
Paula Mejia, who works near the property, described the building’s appearance.
“It looks ugly, very ugly,” said Mejia.
She explained that the building has been abandoned for years and was previously surrounded by trash and old furniture.
“I was expecting that they are going to start rebuilding,” said Mejia.
In March, the property owner attributed the building’s issues to hurricane damage but expressed optimism about its future.
“We’re looking forward to making a residential complex building. Basically, we’re looking at 11 units, make it modern, nice. That’s our main goal with this building,” said Manny Hafutu of Adar South LLC.
Oscar Granados, a nearby resident, frequently passes by the property and expressed concerns about its current state.
“I can see, now, this is really in bad shape,” said Granados.
He added that he hasn’t noticed any recent activity on the site.
Mejia mentioned some improvements, such as cleaning and the addition of a “no trespassing” sign, which have made the area feel safer.
“They clean and I think they place a sign ‘no trespassing’ or something like that. It feels more secure and more safe, because you can see people running around normally at night time,” said Mejia.
Granados questioned the intentions behind the property maintenance.
“They’re gonna do something? Or just they thinking to do something?” said Granados. “It’s a big difference.”
Maddie Herron is awaiting further information from the property owner and Lee County about the next steps for addressing the code violations.