A crumbling house that’s been the subject of years of complaints and code battles on Fort Myers Beach is finally gone.
On Tuesday, demolition crews tore down the long-abandoned home on Estero Boulevard, directly across from the Pink Shell Resort. The structure had been rotting since long before Hurricane Ian... with broken balconies, boarded-up windows, and even a boat left in the backyard.
Mike Flaherty, who lives on his yacht docked across the canal, said he’s waited five years for this moment.
“I heard it … and I thought, finally, the day has come,” Flaherty said. “It just gives a clean appearance for Fort Myers Beach.”
Flaherty wasn’t the only one ready to see the house go. Pink Shell employees say the home became an eyesore and a safety concern, sparking complaints from resort guests and families vacationing nearby.
“It gives them a bad perspective of us when we’re trying to do good,” said Robby Gibilisco, who works at the Pink Shell. “I don’t even know how it survived those hurricanes.”
But while neighbors celebrated the demolition, there was one group not so thrilled about the eviction — the bees.
During demolition, a swarm of honey bees emerged from the wreckage. Ranger Rob Howell, a naturalist and eco-tour guide with the Pink Shell, said a hive had made the house its home, along with rats and other wildlife.
“They turned it into their own little condo,” Howell said. “A bee removal team tried, but the structure was too unstable. Now, they’re swarming — and they’re not too happy.”
Despite the unexpected buzz, neighbors say the teardown marks progress in the ongoing cleanup and recovery on Fort Myers Beach. As for what will replace the property, no official plans have been announced. But for Flaherty, the view alone is already a major upgrade.
“It’s over. It’s cleaned up,” he said. “Everything on the beach is cleaning up right now. Things like this have to be done to move us on.”