SalusCare officially shut down its Cape Coral location after the city ended its land lease.
It told Gulf Coast News that it was working to rebuild after experiencing damage from Hurricane Ian.
SalusCare said the Cape Coral location served about 900 people a month who were getting help for mental health and substance use challenges.
President and CEO of SalusCare, Stacey Cook, said the roof blew off during Hurricane Ian, leaving the building unsafe.
"We immediately closed operations there and got a roof on the building quickly to preserve it," Cook said.
In the meantime, it offered TeleHealth appointments and sent patients to its Fort Myers location on Evans Avenue.
The nonprofit tried to fix the building with the Federal Emergency Management Agency's help, but that did not work out.
"We were finally arriving at the point where money was about to be released, and we were advised that we needed to get the lease renewed with the city, which was slated to expire in 2027," Cook said. "FEMA wanted to see a commitment from the city before they released a lot of money to repair the building."
SalusCare said despite trying to work with Cape Coral multiple times on a solution, its lease agreement was terminated without discussion.
In a statement from the city, it said SalusCare had not provided services from the Cape Coral location for three years, which was the main reason for the termination.
It said, "At a recent Council meeting, a SalusCare representative incorrectly claimed that only a lease renewal would allow them to apply for FEMA assistance. The City requested documentation to support this, but none was provided. Our Emergency Management Division confirmed that the existing lease was sufficient for FEMA eligibility. SalusCare staff later inadvertently admitted via email this claim was made to persuade Council."
SalusCare said its greatest concern is finding a permanent location in Cape Coral.
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