Why some Fort Myers Beach parks won't be rebuilt for another three years

It's been over two years since Hurricane Ian destroyed parks on Fort Myers Beach. Now, county officials say it could take up to three more years to start rebuilding them. On Tuesday, nearly $2.5 million was approved for the design and permitting of Crescent Beach Park and Bowditch Point Park on the north end of Estero Island. According to Lee County's Director of Facilities Construction, Ehab Guirguis, the design process is expected to take some time. "The design and permitting will take between 12 and 18 months," Guirguis said. "We'll try to make it the lower 12 months, and then we'll go to bid out to hire a contractor, maybe another five months, and 12 months for construction, or maybe less." Some commissioners questioned whether the $2.5 million for design and permitting was necessary. Commissioner Brian Hamman mentioned that the Bowditch Point buildings still seem solid. "As a general public type person who doesn't know much about construction, I would look at the bathrooms at Bowditch Point and say it was solid floors, solid everything," Hamman said. "Why aren't they usable today? Did the plumbing get destroyed somehow? What happened there that you can't just start using them?" Guirguis explained that the majority of the damage is below the surface, like plumbing and electrical work that will require major repairs. While the facilities are being repaired, portable restrooms and showers will be onsite. Funding for the design and permitting will come from a combination of Lee County's general fund, FEMA disaster relief, and the Florida Department of Emergency Management. Artificial turf is also no longer considered for Crescent Beach Park. Instead, there will be natural sand, shade structures, and a boardwalk.