"It is unbelievable," marina director Eric Ravenschlag told Gulfshore Business after he cut the ribbon at Legacy Harbour Marina on October 23. "I can't believe it. Very emotional." He has worked at the marina for 26 years, through three ownership groups.
That ceremony marked the first finished piece of a longer project on the stretch of West First Street between Centennial Park and the Edison and Ford Winter Estates. The rebuild is going in order, starting at the river. The docks came back first. The restaurant building next door comes next, and the planned walk to tie the stretch together is still at the drawing stage. Seeing the order makes it easier to understand what you'll find on the riverfront this season, and why.
The docks came back first, and they came back taller
Hurricane Ian wrecked Legacy Harbour Marina in 2022. Its owner, AIRN Management, then spent more than two years clearing the 13-acre property on the Caloosahatchee before rebuilding started in early 2025, Business Observer reported on October 27. Boats started returning in September, and the fuel dock reopened in October.
The new marina at 2044 W. First St. has 131 slips for boats from 40 to 140 feet. The details below the waterline show what the money was spent on. Jacksonville-based Bellingham Marine installed its Unifloat concrete floating docks on 70-foot steel piles, with aluminum-frame interior docks, synthetic decking, in-slip pump-out, fire suppression and shore power.
Ravenschlag described the design to Gulfshore Business in terms of the next storm:
"Coastal resiliency was a big part of what we're trying to achieve with the new marina. It was re-engineered to be stronger. All the pilings are steel now as opposed to concrete. The tension wire pilings, they're 5 feet taller. They're 70 feet in total length. They're about 45 feet into the mud."
The rebuild cost about $15 million. AIRN's chief financial officer, Tommy Fierro, told Gulfshore Business that less than $3 million of it came from insurance. "We're very confident this was a wise investment," AIRN controller Kevin Lynch said.
What the marina offers if you keep a boat on the river
If you live in Fort Myers and boat on the Caloosahatchee, the marina is the finished part of the corridor and the one you can use today. According to the marina's own site and Business Observer:
- Short-term slips can be booked through Dockwa from the dockage page.
- The fuel dock serves both visiting and resident boaters and sells diesel and Rec 90 gasoline. Current prices are posted on the fuel dock pricing page.
- The marina office is at 239-320-8855.
- Operations: the marina runs under a lease with the City of Fort Myers, and Coastal Marina Management handles day-to-day operations.
Greater Fort Myers Chamber of Commerce President John Lai explained the marina's role in the larger plan. In the statement Business Observer published, he said marinas "bring boaters and visitors to our waterfront, supporting nearby restaurants, shops and local businesses." The nearest of those restaurants is still being built.
Next door, a 1984 building gets its third restaurant
The waterfront building at 2024 W. First St. has had only two restaurants in more than four decades. It opened as a Chart House steakhouse in 1984, became Joe's Crab Shack in 2004 and closed when Joe's lease ended in May 2025, Gulfshore Business reported. The landlord also owns the marina. Ten companies competed for the lease, and Len and Tyler Lemmer won it. The Lemmers have run Nervous Nellie's on Fort Myers Beach since 2014.
Their new concept is called Nellie's Boatyard. Fowler Construction is doing the buildout, and Len Lemmer told Gulfshore Business he expected to spend close to $1 million on the interior. WINK News reported these plans:
| Planned detail | Nellie's Boatyard |
|---|---|
| Dining capacity | 250 seats |
| Bar | 40-seat circular bar |
| Windows | 82 floor-to-ceiling |
| Staff | More than 100 |
| Menu focus | Aged steaks, local seafood, some Nervous Nellie's favorites |
Tyler Lemmer says the restaurant is meant for regulars, not special occasions. "I want people to eat there three to five times a week, not just once or twice a year on special occasions," he told Gulfshore Business, describing the look as "polished coastal." That kind of weeknight restaurant needs steady traffic on the riverfront, and a full marina next door helps supply it.
The opening date has moved. The first target was the end of 2026. In late August, Len Lemmer told the News-Press the team was a couple of weeks behind and wasn't sure how realistic that date was. The latest target, reported with the marina's reopening, is early 2027. The Lemmers set up a company called River District Restaurants to run it.
The walk that would connect the two ends
The third piece is the furthest away, and it's the one that would connect the rest. The Innovation Walk is a planned mile-long route, mostly along West First Street, from Centennial Park to the Edison and Ford Winter Estates. Its stated goals are to connect the River District, celebrate Fort Myers' history of innovation and strengthen the waterfront's identity around climate resilience.
The project is at the concept-plan stage. A public open house was scheduled at The Commons for 6 p.m. on November 5. The concept phase is expected to wrap up this month, and schematic design follows after that. The project page has a sign-up for updates for anyone who wants to follow the design phase.
Both ends of the walk are already in use. At the downtown end, the city describes Centennial Park as a 10-acre riverfront park with boat docks, a fishing pier, a launch ramp, a pavilion and a playground. The city also lists a Thursday farmers market there. At the other end is the corridor's oldest attraction, and its holiday season starts this month.
Where the stretch ends this season: Holiday Nights starts November 27
The Edison and Ford Winter Estates at 2350 McGregor Blvd. holds its 51st annual Holiday Nights, themed "Peace on Earth," from November 27 through January 3, from 5:30 to 9 p.m. each night. The Visit Fort Myers listing has the basics:
- Opening night, November 27: a tree-lighting ceremony with the American Sirens at 6 p.m.
- Every night: thousands of lights, historic decorations and the Children's Holiday Tree Trail, decorated with ornaments made by students at local schools.
- Select nights: photos with Santa, live music and carolers, holiday shopping and refreshments.
- Closed: Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
- Admission: $23 for adults, $13 for teens and $3 for children ages 6 to 12.
The nightly schedule is posted on the Estates' calendar.
This year, a Holiday Nights evening puts you at one end of a riverfront that's partly rebuilt. Toward downtown, boats are back at the marina, tied to docks on storm-ready steel piles. The old Chart House building next door is under renovation, with Nellie's Boatyard aiming for early 2027. The walk meant to connect it all to the Estates is moving from concept to design. Ravenschlag's 26 years at the marina cover nearly every version of this stretch, and the version going up now is built to last longer than the last one.
If you're following the West First Street riverfront because a home near the water is in your plans, Maxim Properties can show you how these projects, and their timelines, affect the homes nearby. Schedule a Consultation, and we'll go over what's finished, what's coming and what that means for your next move.
