Site History

The Site (approx. 22.6 acres) is owned by Bell Tower Campus Inn Limited Partnership (Dennis Dalhman, Ann Arbor, MI) and was a successful strip shopping center for many years and then a high-end retail outlet center (Tanger Outlet Shops aka Sanibel Outlets) up until Hurricane Ian (Sept 28,2022) devastated the area and wreaked the center. It has been unoccupied since the storm and is scheduled for demolition.

The Site parcel, triangular in shape, is bounded by McGregor Boulevard on the south and  Summerlin Road on the north.  

For decades, Sanibel Outlets was a highly successful shopping and dining destination featuring a number of popular retailers and three restaurants. The property is located in a highly desirable area of the county between Fort Myers Beach and Sanibel, the two most visited vacation spots in SWFL. 

According to the Lee County Visitor and Convention Bureau, SWFL was frequented by more than 1.3 million visitors from October to December of 2021 alone, with nearly 5 million visitors flocking to the area throughout the year. Sanibel Outlets alone had hundreds of thousands of visitors annually. 

In 2022, Hurricane Ian made landfall in Southwest Florida, causing an estimated $112 billion in total damages, with the coastal areas from Fort Myers Beach to Sanibel and Captiva being severely impacted and generally bearing the most extensive and devastating damages. 

Flooding and other damage caused by the hurricane resulted in the permanent closure of the popular Sanibel Outlets. Based on the extent of the damage, the family ownership of the property made the difficult decision to begin planning for the demolition and redevelopment of this highly visible parcel. 

During the time that several development options were being considered, the Florida Legislature and Governor Ron DeSantis passed the Live Local Act, a legislative initiative intended to address the statewide issue of housing affordability. The Act provided a new opportunity for the redevelopment of the property, allowing for increased residential density and additional height in exchange for a commitment to provide 40% of the dwelling units as affordable housing.