A Fort Myers community staple since 1965 may soon get a facelift. First steps are underway in an effort to expand and upgrade the Edison Mall. The Fort Myers Community Redevelopment Agency recently approved an agreement with Bowman Consulting Group to conduct an air rights study on the mall. The cost is $100,000. The Cleveland Avenue Trust Fund will cover the cost of the study.
It’s all a part of the Cleveland Avenue Redevelopment Area Plan. According to plan documents, the redevelopment strategy addresses “urban design, connectivity, transportation, economic development, and housing issues” along a 3.5-mile area stretching from Boy Scout Drive in the South to Edison Avenue in downtown Fort Myers in the North.
The Edison Mall air rights study will investigate and analyze the potential to add residential apartments on top of the existing mall building and explore possible redevelopment options for the rest of the mall and the surrounding property.
Dr. Mellone Long is the Assistant Director of the Fort Myers Community Redevelopment Agency. She says the idea for the air rights study actually came from the public when the Clevland Avenue Redevelopment Area Plan was up for review last year…