FORT MYERS BEACH, Fla. - TelAve -- Benchmark General Contractors broke ground Monday, July 6 on Sunset Beach Resort, a $13-million mixed-use development at 1028 Estero Blvd. in Fort Myers Beach's Times Square district. The project marks one of the most significant private investments along the island's beachfront since Hurricane Ian made landfall in September 2022.

The three-story, 41,285-square-foot development will rise on the former site of Sunset Beach Tropical Grill and The Playmore Tiki Bar, two beloved Times Square fixtures that were destroyed by the storm. When complete, Sunset Beach Resort will feature six hotel units, returning a vibrant, mixed-use destination to one of the most visible and heavily trafficked corners of Fort Myers Beach.

"This isn't a project for five or 10 years — this is a 100-year-plus building," said Brad Nickel, president of Benchmark General Contractors. "We are this community. We've been here for 40-plus years building coastal projects, and to be a part of something this major is quite the testament to everything we've been doing for the last four decades. I hope this serves as a giant billboard to every developer out there that Fort Myers Beach is ready — come build, and the town is here to help you do it."

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Ian's storm surge and winds caused catastrophic damage to Fort Myers Beach, decimating the Times Square corridor and displacing dozens of businesses that had defined the island's character for generations. Nearly four years later, the groundbreaking of Sunset Beach Resort represents one of the latest and most prominent steps in the community's ongoing effort to reclaim and rebuild its beachfront identity.

The groundbreaking ceremony was attended by Fort Myers Beach Mayor Dan Allers, Jacki Liszak, president and CEO of the Fort Myers Beach Chamber of Commerce, and John Lai, president of the Greater Fort Myers Chamber of Commerce and the Sanibel & Captiva Islands Chamber of Commerce. Lai noted that Benchmark's expansion to Fort Myers Beach reflects the company's longstanding commitment to Southwest Florida's recovery, having already completed significant recovery work related to Hurricane Ian on Sanibel and Captiva.

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Benchmark General Contractors is a Southwest Florida-based commercial construction firm with deep experience in coastal and post-disaster rebuilding across the region. The company has been active in Hurricane Ian recovery efforts since the storm, with completed and ongoing projects spanning Lee County's barrier islands. Ryan Johnson, vice president of commercial operations, and Doug Hrabik, senior project manager, are overseeing the Sunset Beach Resort project.

Construction on Sunset Beach Resort is expected to take approximately 18 months, with a projected completion in early 2028.