Wrecking ball faces Exhibition Hall
Mold and asbestos is scattered about Exhibition Hall in downtown Fort Myers. It's an antiquated, empty stage that was once full of song and dance.
Elvis Presley once rocked this house.
The hall had an irrepressible charm, if only because of its uniqueness. It was the most versatile multipurpose facility in Fort Myers.
But time along with HarborsideEventCenter and Hurricane Charley left it an aging building in transition.
It sits idly along the waterfront. It's awaiting what seems to be an inevitable fate — demolition.
If city officials can work out a deal with Bonita-Springs based WCI Communities before or during a scheduled workshop on May 22, Exhibition Hall likely will tumble down 18 months after being declared uninhabitable.
"The hall is one of the key pieces of the WCI project," said Don Paight, executive director of the Fort Myers Redevelopment Agency. "We want a downtown that will attract people."
The developer is hoping to purchase a 5.6-acre parcel of city-owned land, which includes the Exhibition Hall, a boat ramp and a HarborsideEventCenter parking lot.
"The hall takes up a lot of space on the waterfront," Paight said. "We want the developer to either lease it or purchase it, but it's important to get (the property) back on the city's tax rolls."
The proposed WCI waterfront project is expected to be built near Exhibition Hall and Edwards Drive along the river. Paight said it will provide hotel rooms for an expanded Harborside to accommodate conventions.
However, Paight's utopia is a dreaded reality for those opposing the project and the hall's supposedly imminent demise.
Councilman Mike Flanders, who initially supported preserving the hall, now is on the fence. He is willing to compromise, but only if the developer makes a few concessions.
"I'm adamant about there being some kind of public use for the property," Flanders said. "I'm looking at that site as having a plaza, a fountain, open space and maybe an amphitheater."
Like the Lee Trust for Historical Preservation, Councilman Warren Wright would rather Exhibition Hall be spared the wrecking ball.
If Flanders is in the middle and Wright is on the left, then Mayor Jim Humphrey stands on the right, flanked by WCI executives.
"The mayor doesn't think the building is worth keeping," Flanders said. "If WCI doesn't produce something for public use, I'll tell them, 'no thanks.'"
Wright is even more demanding. He is unwilling to make many concessions, particularly with the developer.
"The administration and Don Paight favor the developers," Wright said. "It doesn't matter that money could be collected to save the building."
City officials acknowledged during the April 3 City Council meeting that it has been assured of receiving at least $421,780 in insurance claims for damage caused to the hall by Hurricane Charley.
That was good enough news to prompt city officials to drop the $6,500 insurance policy, a move subsequently criticized by Flanders.
"I don't want them to tear it down unless there's a good alternative," Flanders said. "It's why I didn't want them to drop the insurance policy."
While city officials reconsider the policy, Wright wants to know why the insurance reimbursement has not been earmarked for repairs to the facility.
"We should take the money, and put it back into the building," Wright said. "It's a shame not to fix up the building."
Paight said the insurance money the city will receive isn't likely to be enough to completely repair the hall.
In March 2001, an evaluation by the city's American Disabilities Act coordinator concluded $165,000 was needed to bring the building up to code. The facility was appraised at $598,000 in 1997.
The city's public works director said he has been charged with maintaining Exhibition Hall only until the City Council decides whether to sell or demolish the facility.
"My directive is to maintain the property at status quo," said Al Abdo, director of the Public Works Department. "Our goal is to keep it from deteriorating any further."
Michael Titmuss, the city's code enforcement director, said it's not as if city officials are ignoring Exhibition Hall. He said it's best not to rush to a decision.
"It's a complex process in tearing it down or repairing it," Titmuss said. "It's not hurting anything just sitting there."
Flanders agrees.
He added, however, that the council and WCI should make every effort to incorporate Exhibition Hall into the Andres Duany redevelopment master plan. It's a plan the city paid the Miami-based town planner $275,000 to develop.
"We paid a lot of money for that plan," Flanders said. "So, we probably should follow it."
|
Linear Mode
