Shangri-La Springs will mark a significant milestone in its history with a celebration noon to 8 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 8 as the City of Bonita Springs honors the historic property’s 100th anniversary with an official proclamation presentation by the mayor and members of the Bonita Springs City Council.
The proclamation ceremony will take place at 4 p.m. on the grounds of Shangri-La Springs and will commemorate the establishment of the hotel in 1926 by developer Gilmer Heitman, Sr., whose vision helped shape the early development of Bonita Springs. Joining the celebration will be Gilmer McCrary Heitman, IV (“Mike”), Gilmer Heitman’s great-grandson, along with his wife, Melanie, and children, representing the family whose legacy remains closely tied to the history of the hotel and community. Also participating will be Wendy Cheatham Newman, daughter of naturopath and homeopath R.J. Cheatham, who purchased the property in 1965 and transformed it into the renowned Shangri-La Health Resort. Together, the Heitman and Cheatham families represent two defining chapters in the property’s century-long history.
Gilmer Heitman was far more than the builder of the Bonita Hotel. He was one of Southwest Florida’s most influential early entrepreneurs and civic leaders, helping shape the economic future of both Bonita Springs and Fort Myers during the first half of the twentieth century. After arriving in Fort Myers in the late 1890s, Heitman organized Lee County’s first telephone system, founded real estate and insurance companies, developed residential subdivisions, served as president and director of the Bank of Fort Myers, and held leadership positions with the Lee County Chamber of Commerce and several regional land development companies. Recognizing the tremendous potential of Bonita Springs during Florida’s land boom, he helped develop Bonita Springs and constructed the Bonita Hotel in 1926 to welcome prospective homebuyers while their homes were being built. His entrepreneurial vision helped lay the groundwork for the growth of Southwest Florida, making the Bonita Hotel, today’s Shangri-La Springs, not only a historic landmark but also a lasting symbol of the region’s early development…