Downtown Fort Myers

When I hear the word downtown I think of a busy bustling area.  I picture an area where there is a lot of people as well as shops, restaurants, and various offices.  A place where one can go to unwind and have fun.  Downtown areas don't have as much presence as they once did.  Downtown areas are not what they once were.  With strip malls and grocery stores going up on every corner, there isn't as much need for downtown areas.  People don't want to travel as far to get a product that they can get 5 minutes from their house. 

Downtown Fort Myers is experiencing a renaissance in the sense that the city is restoring a lot of the downtown area.  They have seen how important the history is and want to help give people a sense of place.  The prominent architectural features are those of what they once were.  They want to keep the buildings as close to as original as possible, by just renovating them.  They want to stay true to what Downtown once was by keeping original structures and renovating arcades throughout the downtown area. 

The city wants people to see what was once there.  They want to revitalize the downtown life and have people come together like they once did.

Downtown Fort Myers has many historical spaces throughout downtown.  They have monuments in Centennial Park depicting different historical events, like the Ford, Edison, Firestone fountain, and the monument for the black soldier division stationed in Fort Myers.  They also have a mosaic depicting some of the history of the city outside the post office arcade. 

The economy has changed drastically over the years.  The downtown area/port was once all about trade and now its all about restaurants, law offices, and the night life.  The use for downtown has changed. 

This all relates to sustainability as they are re purposing buildings.  Instead of tearing buildings down they are restoring and re purposing them.  They are also using a lot of natural elements to help protect the land, such as the mangroves that help provide a natural sea wall.