Major hotel project approved, despite original deed restriction

Fort Myers City Council approved development of the long-awaited Luminary Hotel to be built on land just east of the Harborside Event Center in the city's River District. But when the land was sold to the city for $100 in 1936, the sellers stipulated that the property only be used for a park or a boat basin. The new deal doesn't sit well with some residents, but city leaders and developers say the hotel will benefit the city more than another park or marina would.