U.S. Rep. Greg Steube looked out at the Ian-ruined Fort Myers Yacht Basin and said he will meet with the Corps of Engineers and the federal Fish and Wildlife Service to see if he can get the permit the city needs to bring the facility back.
Not quite four years after Hurricane Ian turned docks and boats into so much driftwood, city contractor Suntex, Inc. is waiting on the permit.
Congressman new to the city after re-districting
Steube inherited the city of Fort Myers through redistricting. and Fort Myers Mayor Kevin Anderson said he reached out almost immediately to the new city representative.
“The ink wasn’t dry on the map yet,” he said.
Steube said he wanted to tour the mangled Yacht Basin so he understands what he’s pushing the federal agencies for.
“Seeing it makes it easier to know what to ask for,” he said.
While the appropriations bill that stalled in late June would have helped, Steube said, the bureaucracy must get the permit moving.
“It shouldn’t take this long,” he said.
Would-be election opponent makes appearance
Steube was harangued during his brief appearance at the downtown basin by Allen Spence, a Fort Myers resident who is seeking the Democratic nomination for the seat against Matthew Montavon of Sarasota. Spence claimed Steube refuses to meet with constituents.
“Congressman Greg Steube is a coward,” he declared through a bullhorn.
A Fort Myers policeman stopped Spence from using his bullhorn, but Spence was undeterred, continuing his heckling.
Anderson said getting the basin rebuilt – it’s actually a completely new and larger marina planned to be built on a filled-in old basin – is critical to downtown.
Mangled basin ‘a constant reminder’ says Fort Myers mayor
“It’s a constant reminder of what we’ve been through,” said Anderson, who is running for reelection this year. “If we can get the permit, construction can start right away.”
Anderson said he is “positive and optimistic” about Steube’s help.
“It should help the permitting process to have a member of Congress focused on it,” Steube said.
Steube said he may be new to the city, but he’s represented part of Lee County for eight years.
“I will advocate for the district,” he said. “We have to get this through permitting.”
The city contract with Suntex dates back to 2023. The agreement called for the basin to be rebuilt, but the developer proposed a more ambitious plan that would see an entirely new marina, complete with upland development, at the site.
The proposed project calls for burying the old basin under 75,000 cubic yards of fill and raising the shoreline by 14 feet to meet FEMA building standards. It also calls for dredging almost 95,000 square feet of river bottom.
Charlie Whitehead covers Lee County and Fort Myers. Reach him at Cwhitehead@gannett.com
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This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: U.S. Congressman says he’ll push for Fort Myers Yacht Basin progress
Reporting by Charlie Whitehead, Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News / Fort Myers News-Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Charlie Whitehead, Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News | USA TODAY Network
