What’s going on with the Surf Club on Fort Myers Beach?

FORT MYERS BEACH, Fla. —

One of the first buildings people see when they come onto Fort Myers Beach is also one that stands out — and not in a good way.

Across the street from Margaritaville and just steps away from the Whale, a newly rebuilt three-story bar, sits the old Surf Club building. The small blue structure is boarded up, with rust visible across parts of the roof and wires hanging from the exterior.

Some visitors say it looks abandoned.

"It looks terrible. It needs either tore down or redone completely," said Sara Steinberg, who is visiting Fort Myers Beach for the first time.

While many businesses along this stretch of Estero Boulevard have been rebuilt since Hurricane Ian, the Surf Club building has remained boarded up.

Town records, however, suggest the property may not be abandoned after all.

Permit documents show the owners applied in March 2025 for nearly $200,000 in renovations to the building. Plans include a new roof, rebuilt steps and deck, and interior updates such as bathroom renovations, electrical work and improvements to the bar area — suggesting the owners hoped to restore the longtime beach spot rather than tear it down.

But those plans appear to have stalled.

Town records show the Fort Myers Beach Fire Department rejected the plans multiple times during the review process.

Now, as of this week, the property is the subject of a new code enforcement investigation over concerns the structure may be in disrepair.

The Town of Fort Myers Beach said it cannot comment on an active code enforcement case.

Visitors who have been coming to Fort Myers Beach for years say they have seen much of the island slowly rebuild since Hurricane Ian, but hope this property does not sit empty much longer.

"It’s a process," said Vince Waldron, who has visited Fort Myers Beach multiple times since the storm. "You’ve got permits. You’ve got to have money. You have to have plans."

Others say the location could make it a perfect spot for a restaurant again someday.

"Something that I noticed about Fort Myers Beach in general is there's not a lot of businesses. Yes, there's a whole bunch of food trucks now. Not a whole lot of actual sit-down restaurants," Steinberg said. "You’re right across the street from the beach. It's on the main drag. It’s perfect."

Gulf Coast News reached out to the out-of-state owners of the property to ask if they're still planning to fix the old building, but did not receive a response Tuesday.

The future of the old Surf Club building remains unclear as the code enforcement investigation moves forward.

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