Category: Island Update

As the islands of Sanibel and Captiva continue to recover from Hurricane Ian, a trio of iconic island businesses have reopened after overcoming various challenges.

• She Sells Sea Shells

Anne Joffe opened the shell shop at 1157 Periwinkle Way in 1974. One of the challenges she faced in reopening was finding her battered storefront sign, which is one of the first things tourists see upon driving onto the island. On September 28, the storm’s winds blew it apart, and the tidal surge moved it into the woods across the street. Joffe’s children later found it and refurbished it, putting it back in place.

Joffe reopened the store during Fourth of July weekend after dealing with damage created by her store’s biggest nemesis: hurricanes.

• Nanny’s of Sanibel

Heather Termini bought Nanny’s of Sanibel, 1700 Periwinkle Way, last year. The previous owner didn’t want to deal with the post-hurricane hassles. Termini, however, saw the pros in acquiring a business that will celebrate its 41st anniversary later this year.

Just two weeks after Termini bought the business, a fire in the neighboring Jerry’s grocery store caused the sprinkler system to flood the inside of her store. This forced her to close and redo the flooring and drywall, which had escaped the hurricane’s wrath. She reopened on March 1 after being closed for most of February.

• RC Otter’s

On Captiva, owner Sandy Stilwell Youngquist and her team at RC Otter’s will cut the ribbon for its grand reopening party at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday.

Contractors put on a new roof. While they were at it, they also raised the ceiling, keeping the dining room the same size but giving it a roomier feel.

Up next will be refurbishing the Keylime Bistro restaurant across the street. Youngquist is planning to reopen it by September 22, coinciding with the start of the Island Hopper Songwriter Fest.

These three businesses are just a few examples of the resilience of the people and businesses on Sanibel and Captiva. Despite the challenges they faced after Hurricane Ian, they have all reopened and are ready to welcome visitors back to the islands.

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The 2023 Back to School Sales Tax Holiday in Florida is now underway! From July 28 to August 6, 2023, you can save money on qualifying back-to-school supplies.

The sales tax holiday applies to the following items:

• Clothing and footwear for children and adults up to $100 per item.
• School supplies up to $15 per item.
• Computers and tablets up to $1,000 per item.

The sales tax holiday does not apply to the following items:

• Rental or repair of any of the qualifying items.
• Sales in a theme park, entertainment complex, public lodging establishment, or airport.

For more information, visit the Florida Department of Revenue website: https://floridarevenue.com/backtoschool.

The Captiva Civic Association (CCA) has established a legal fund to oppose proposed changes to Captiva’s height and density regulations. The changes, which were proposed by the Lee County Board of County Commissioners, would allow for taller buildings and more dense development on the island.

The CCA believes that the proposed changes would have a negative impact on the character of Captiva. The island is known for its small-town charm and its natural beauty. The CCA is concerned that the proposed changes would lead to more traffic, more noise, and less open space.

The CCA is urging the community to contribute to the legal fund. The fund will be used to hire legal representation to fight the proposed changes. The CCA has already retained the law firm of GrayRobinson to represent the community.

If you are interested in contributing to the legal fund, you can do so by visiting the CCA website or by sending a check to the following address:

Captiva Civic Association
Legal Fund
PO Box 1281
Captiva Island, FL 33924

The deadline for submitting contributions is July 31, 2023.

The CCA is committed to protecting the character of Captiva. With your help, we can ensure that the island remains a special place for generations to come.

What You Can Do

There are a few things you can do to help the CCA fight the proposed changes to Captiva’s height and density regulations:

Contribute to the legal fund. Every dollar counts.
Attend the public hearing on the proposed changes. The hearing will be held on August 1, 2023, at 9:00 a.m. at the Lee County Government Center, 21200 South Tamiami Trail, Fort Myers, FL.

Contact your elected officials and let them know that you oppose the proposed changes. You can find their contact information on the Lee County website.
Together, we can make a difference. Let’s protect the character of Captiva for future generations.

Captiva-Sanibel Chamber to Lead City’s 50th Anniversary Celebration, Postpones Luminary.

The Captiva-Sanibel Chamber of Commerce will be leading the city’s 50th anniversary celebration, which will kick off on November 5, 2024, the date the city was incorporated. The celebration will culminate with a Luminary event on November 4, 2025.

The Chamber has postponed the Luminary event, which was originally scheduled for November 5, 2023. The decision to postpone was made due to concerns about the availability of vendors and the potential for inclement weather.

The Chamber is currently working on a new timeline for the Luminary event. The event will still feature illuminated boat parades, but the exact dates and times have not yet been determined.

The Chamber is also planning other events to celebrate the city’s 50th anniversary. These events will include concerts, festivals, and educational programs.

The Chamber is encouraging residents and visitors to get involved in the planning of the 50th-anniversary celebration. More information about the celebration can be found on the Chamber’s website.

Breeze Airways, a low-cost carrier founded by JetBlue co-founder David Neeleman, is expanding its service in Florida with nine new seasonal winter and spring routes from Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers. The routes will begin in November and include Akron-Canton, Ohio (CAK); New Orleans (MSY); Norfolk, Virginia (ORF); Richmond, Virginia (RIC); and Syracuse, New York (SYR).

Breeze also recently announced new nonstop service from Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport to Providence, Rhode Island, and from Tampa International Airport to Hartford, Connecticut, Providence, Rhode Island, and Portland, Maine. With these new routes, Breeze now offers 58 nonstop routes in and out of Florida.

The new routes are part of Breeze’s ongoing expansion across the United States. The airline has been rapidly growing since its launch in 2021, and it now serves more than 120 nonstop routes. Breeze is known for its focus on customer service and its commitment to offering affordable fares.

The new routes from Fort Myers will provide travelers with more convenient and affordable options to reach popular destinations in the Northeast. The routes to New Orleans and Norfolk will be especially popular with travelers who want to avoid long layovers on other airlines.

The new routes from Sarasota-Bradenton and Tampa will also be a welcome addition for travelers in those areas. The routes to Providence will provide direct connections to the capital of Rhode Island, while the routes to Hartford and Portland will offer direct connections to major cities in Connecticut and Maine.

Breeze’s expansion in Florida is a positive development for the state’s tourism industry. The new routes will make it easier and more affordable for people to visit Florida from all over the country. This is likely to boost tourism in the state and help to create jobs.

Overall, Breeze’s expansion in Florida is a good thing for the state’s economy and its residents. The new routes will provide more travel options and make it easier for people to get to where they want to go.

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Sweet Melissa’s Cafe: A New Chapter

Sweet Melissa’s Cafe, a beloved restaurant on Sanibel Island, is rebuilding after being damaged by Hurricane Ian in 2022. Chef Melissa Donahue recently shared a rendering of the new building, which will be larger and more modern than the original.

The new Sweet Melissa’s will have a spacious dining room with floor-to-ceiling windows, as well as an outdoor patio with views of the Gulf of Mexico. The menu will feature the same popular dishes that made the original restaurant a success, as well as some new additions.

Donahue is excited to share the new Sweet Melissa’s with her customers. “We’re really looking forward to creating a new and even better dining experience for our guests,” she said. “We can’t wait to open our doors and welcome everyone back.”

The new Sweet Melissa’s is expected to open in early 2023. In the meantime, Donahue and her team are working hard to rebuild the restaurant and bring it back to its former glory.

Here is the post from their Instagram account

The transition! Ready for another full house!Sweet Melissa’s Cafe Thursdays and Fridays! Make your reservations today! (239)472-1581

Here are some additional details about the new Sweet Melissa’s:

• The new building will be located at the same address as the original restaurant, 2075 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel Island, FL 33957.
• The new restaurant will have seating for 120 guests, plus an additional 40 seats on the patio.
• The menu will feature a variety of American cuisine, with a focus on fresh seafood and locally-sourced ingredients.
• The new Sweet Melissa’s is expected to be open seven days a week for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

The Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation (SCCF) reported that the islands are on track for a record-breaking nesting season, with more than 855 nests on Sanibel and Captiva as of June 28, 2023. This is up from 775 nests in 2022 and 720 nests in 2021. The SCCF is asking the community to help replenish its supply of towels, which help cover buckets that hold and protect hatchlings. The earliest recorded sea turtle nest on the islands’ beaches was laid by a loggerhead on April 15, 2020. Last year, the season’s first nest was laid on April 27 by a loggerhead. The SCCF’s sea turtle team surveys Sanibel and Captiva looking for new nests, monitoring existing ones, and collecting inventory data on hatched ones.

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Shalimar Cottages & Motel, a beachfront motel on Sanibel Island, Florida, was destroyed by Hurricane Ian in September 2022. The motel’s owner, Sean Niesel, has decided to rebuild the motel on the same site. The new motel will have a different look and layout, but it will still have 33 rooms. Niesel hopes to break ground on the new motel in early 2024 and have it completed in time for the 2025-2026 tourist season.

Niesel grew up vacationing at the motel, which was owned by his grandparents. He said he wants to rebuild the motel because he believes it is a beautiful property and he wants it to stay in the family for generations.

The rebuilding of Shalimar Cottages & Motel is one of several signs of recovery for Sanibel Island, which was also damaged by Hurricane Ian. Roughly 35 businesses have reopened on Sanibel and Captiva since the storm, and there are plans to rebuild several other hotels and businesses that were destroyed.

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Hurricane Ian hit Southwest Florida in September 2022, causing widespread damage to homes and businesses. The local real estate market took a major hit in the months after the storm, but it has since rebounded. In fact, some are now saying that the period after the storm has been the best time to invest in real estate in Southwest Florida.

Prior to the hurricane, Cape Coral was recognized as the hottest housing market in the U.S. in May 2022, with a year-over-year gain of 36.9% in median prices. However, the storm led to a significant drop in new listings and sales.

Now, nine months after the hurricane, the real estate market is showing signs of recovery. According to a report from Redfin, listings of homes for sale have recovered, and sales have started to bounce back. In the two months following the hurricane, there were 900 fewer new listings than projected. However, in the six months after that, there were 1,314 more new listings than projected, offsetting the initial shortfall.

Despite the initial hit to the real estate market, the period following the storm has been seen as a good time to invest in real estate in the area. Developers have been attracted to the opportunities presented by the hard-hit coastal areas, and research has shown that real estate in hurricane-affected regions has historically appreciated above the national average following a storm.

The recovery of home sales in Cape Coral suggests that many home buyers continue to prioritize waterfront views, relatively affordable home prices, and lower taxes over climate concerns.

There are a few reasons for this. First, the storm caused a significant decrease in the number of homes for sale in the area. This has created a seller’s market, with bidding wars becoming common. Second, the storm also caused a decrease in property values. This means that investors can now buy homes at a significant discount.

Florida has issued 80,000 residential building permits so far this year, second only to Texas. New construction homes in Florida are built under the most recent building codes, offering better resistance against natural disasters and climate change.

Of course, there are also some risks associated with investing in real estate in a post-hurricane area. For example, there is always the possibility that another storm could hit the area in the future. However, proponents of investing in Southwest Florida argue that the potential rewards outweigh the risks. They point out that the area has a strong economy and a growing population, both of which are factors that should support continued growth in the real estate market.

Overall, the real estate market in Southwest Florida is recovering well after Hurricane Ian. The number of homes for sale is increasing, and sales are beginning to bounce back. Investors who are willing to take on some risk may find that the area offers attractive opportunities.

Here are some additional details from the article:

• Cape Coral, Florida was one of the hardest hit areas by Hurricane Ian. The city’s median home price fell by 17% in the months after the storm.
• However, the real estate market in Cape Coral has since rebounded. In May 2023, the city’s median home price was up 10% from a year earlier.
• The recovery in Southwest Florida’s real estate market is being driven by a number of factors, including the area’s strong economy and growing population.
• The region is also attracting a number of investors who are looking for bargains in the wake of the hurricane.
• Some experts believe that the real estate market in Southwest Florida could continue to grow in the years to come.

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