Town staff flag structural damage at Mound House after Hurricane Milton; design proposal to assess repairs

Town of Fort Myers Beach museum staff told the Cultural and Environmental Learning Center advisory board on Sept. 25 that the historic Mound House has sustained internal structural damage after Hurricane Milton and needs professional repair work.

Adam Knight, museum manager for the Town of Fort Myers Beach, said a structural engineer noted shifting and "compression damage" to interior joists and masonry after Milton and that the movement became more visible over the summer rains. "There was some slight shifting... gradually it's been getting a little bit more progressive through compression damage," Knight said.

Knight told the board K2M Designs submitted a scope of work to assess and design repairs; he said the scope listed approximately $26,000 for the design work and stressed that figure covers design only, not construction. "That's just the design. That's not for the actual repair," a board member confirmed during the meeting.

Jeff Hauge, a town staff member who participated in the discussion, said the town is arranging for the design firm to inspect the Mound House the first week of October. He said the town will then evaluate funding avenues, including insurance and possible FEMA reimbursement, before deciding where repair construction costs would come from.

Board members and staff described the most-concerned locations as the second-floor south-facing exhibit wall (the ancient peoples exhibit) and adjacent second-floor porch joists. Knight said some porch separation is visible from the corner of the second-floor porch and that the porch structure had been added to the older house, complicating the structural picture.

Knight said two structural engineers inspected the property — once immediately after Milton and again when compression damage became evident — and that FEMA also completed a damage inspection. He said the building is "structurally safe" for now but the damage appears progressive and likely requires prompt attention to avoid further deterioration.

Board members asked about financing. Knight said the town will first determine whether costs can be submitted to FEMA or the town's insurance adjuster; if those routes do not cover the full scope, the town will identify budget or grant options. Hauge said staff will investigate insurance and FEMA pathways and the town will need to prioritize repairs once the design estimate and scope are clearer.

The advisory board did not take a formal vote specifically on the repair work at the meeting; Knight said the next step is a site assessment by the design firm, after which staff will return with a recommended path for funding and repair work.

Background: The Mound House (historic William H. Case House) sits on a shell mound and does not have a traditional foundation, a factor staff said increases vulnerability to storm-related shifting. Town staff said they will bring the design report and funding recommendations to the council or appropriate committee once the assessment is complete.

What’s next: K2M Designs will perform an on-site assessment in early October and staff will report back to the advisory board and council with the design findings and funding options.