A major new beachfront destination featuring an open-air tiki bar, food vendors, live entertainment and eventually a pool and lazy river could be coming to the south end of Fort Myers Beach.
The plans are for the former Fort Myers Beach Wyndham property at 6890 Estero Boulevard, across from Fort Myers Beach Town Hall. This is a separate property from the former Outrigger Beach Resort site farther north on Estero Boulevard.
The approximately 11-acre Wyndham property was severely damaged by Hurricane Ian in 2022. While the owners believe a resort hotel remains the property’s highest and best long-term use, Town documents state that current financial conditions are not favorable for developing a new hotel at this time.
Instead, the proposed development agreement would allow the site to reopen in two phases with dining, entertainment, recreation and parking uses.
Phase One Would Bring a New Open-Air Beachfront Hangout
The first phase is designed to allow a restaurant and entertainment venue to open as quickly as possible.
Plans show a tiki-style pole barn measuring up to approximately 11,200 square feet, with covered outdoor seating and space for live entertainment.
Food, beverages and other restaurant functions would initially be provided through six mobile trailers, including kitchen, bar, cooler, freezer, storage and restroom facilities. The trailers are intended to help the project comply with current flood-zone and building requirements while the first phase is operating.
Alcohol service and consumption would be permitted throughout the designated restaurant, entertainment and recreation areas.
The Phase One site plan shows 163 vehicle parking spaces, along with golf cart and bicycle parking. The proposal also includes commercial paid parking and improvements to the public beach-access area.
Pool and Lazy River Planned for Phase Two
Phase Two would require the design and construction of a wave-dissipation wall, along with a flood-map revision intended to change the property’s flood designation from a VE zone to an AE zone.
That change would allow the temporary mobile trailers to be removed and replaced with permanent, flood-compliant restaurant structures within the tiki pole barn area.
The restaurant and entertainment area would be reconfigured to a maximum of approximately 11,500 square feet.
The recreation area would expand to approximately 21,500 square feet and would include a swimming pool and lazy river.
Parking would also increase during Phase Two, with plans showing a total of 237 spaces, including areas intended for commercial and future shared parking operations.
Live Entertainment and Proposed Hours
Under the proposal, the property would operate from 7 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Amplified sound would be permitted between 10 a.m. and 9 p.m., creating the potential for regular live music and outdoor entertainment near the beach.
The concept could help restore some of the casual, open-air atmosphere Fort Myers Beach was known for before Hurricane Ian, while giving visitors and residents a new place to eat, drink and gather on the south end of the island.
Seven Development-Code Deviations Requested
The owners, FMBH LLC, are seeking approval through a Home Rule Development Agreement for the Fort Myers Beach Wyndham property.
The proposal includes seven requested deviations from the Town’s Land Development Code. The deviations primarily involve parking materials, landscaping, buffering, parking-space markings and future shared-parking operations.
For example, the proposal requests permission to use a stabilized gravel, limerock or crushed-shell surface in portions of the parking area instead of fully paved parking during the initial phase.
What Happens Next?
The Fort Myers Beach Local Planning Agency reviewed the proposal on June 16, 2026, and recommended approval.
The development agreement must still go before the Fort Myers Beach Town Council for public hearings and final consideration. A specific Council approval should not be assumed until the ordinance completes that process.
The agreement also preserves the former Fort Myers Beach Wyndham property’s underlying Commercial Resort zoning and the possibility of a future resort hotel. However, a hotel could not simply be added to the current plan. The development agreement would first have to be amended or terminated before that type of construction could move forward.
For now, the proposed tiki venue, beachfront dining, live entertainment and future lazy river could turn one of Fort Myers Beach’s largest vacant properties into an active destination once again.
