Sanibel Captiva Community Bank decided to be proactive in ending a bankless Fort Myers Beach.
The bank closed the deal Aug. 20 on a vacant lot, paying $1,795,000 for 0.3 acres on the beach side of Estero Boulevard, across the street from the Fort Myers Beach Public Library, at 2670 and 2680 Estero Blvd.
“My board has had Fort Myers Beach on its radar for several years,” Sanibel Captiva Community Bank President Kyle DeCicco said. “But it wasn’t until very recently, post-storm, and really in the past few months that we decided to make a run at something on Fort Myers Beach. We believe in this market. We believe in our island communities.”
Not since seven months before Hurricane Ian struck Sept. 28, 2022, has Fort Myers Beach had an on-site bank other than some automated teller machines.
That’s set to change about 18 months after groundbreaking.
The bank hired architect Joyce Owens to design the building.
DeCicco said he hoped to break ground in 2025 and open the branch by the end of 2026.
“I believe, and my board agrees, that we see Fort Myers Beach as really being the next small version of Fort Lauderdale or West Palm [Beach] someday,” DeCicco said. “It’s not going to be tomorrow. It’s going to take some time. But we definitely want to be there for the long haul to help that community rebuild.
“If you want to be a part of the community, and you want to be a part of the rebuild, you have to buy in, ultimately. If you want to get the right piece of land, sometimes you have to act quickly.”
The land previously had been a vacation rentals office that was destroyed by the storm.
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Donald and Mary Corcelli had been the owners. Mike Price of LQ Commercial represented the bank, and Loffreno Real Estate represented the sellers in the transaction.
Fort Myers Beach has not had a bank since February 2022, when Truist Bank vacated a branch location at 6061 Estero Blvd., consolidating that with its south Fort Myers branch at 11620 Gladiolus Drive.
Sanibel Captiva Community Bank has seven open branches. Its branch at 15975 McGregor Blvd., is operating out of a temporary building with a permanent replacement under construction.
The 1019 Periwinkle Way branch is under construction.
The beach location will have direct beach access, prompting DeCicco to declare that flip flops will be allowed in the building.
“We think it’s a great site,” he said. “A great location. We’re right across from the library.
“We will be building to the highest standards of construction. [Architect] Joyce Owens, she’s going to put together something right. We’ll have multiple tellers. We’ll have lending services, drive-thru, conference room, the works.”
The bank has yet to hire a contractor to build it.
“And typically, what we like to do, is we have a lot of great contractors that are partners with us and bank with us,” DeCicco said. “I’m going to give a fair shot at some of those partners who have banked with us. But I have not selected a contractor yet.”
