City council approves sale, development agreement for former News-Press site at MLK Boulevard

The City of Fort Myers voted 6-1 on March 3 to approve a purchase and sale agreement and a separate development agreement with Catalyst Community Development LLC for the roughly 9.84-acre former News-Press site at 2442 and 2404 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.

Catalyst will pay $11,000,500 for the parcels, and the development agreement establishes the process and approvals the company must secure before closing. Mayor Kevin Anderson called for the roll call vote after a public hearing that included residents and developers offering competing visions for the site.

The agreement gives the buyer a six-month due-diligence period followed by an 18-month development approval period, though Catalyst representatives said they would close sooner if approvals are secured earlier. Joe Benor of Catalyst said during the hearing that “we would close sooner” if development approvals came earlier and described site challenges that justify time for due diligence, including “a railroad spur that’s on the property that cannot be moved” and a stormwater line that must be relocated or encapsulated.

Several nearby property owners and developers urged the council to consider combining adjacent parcels. Dr. Aaron Howard, who owns the former school board building next door, asked the council to allow time for him to negotiate with developers; Jim Zoborro of Renaissance and other local speakers said they were interested in exploring a joint plan to increase the project’s scale. Catalyst’s Benor said he was “all for collaborating,” but told the council developers need certainty before committing large sums and staff time.

Council members debated whether to extend the timeline for additional negotiations. Councilmember Boche said a 60-day extension might help combine properties; Catalyst opposed an extension, saying developers need certainty and that extending negotiations could let competing bidders use shared plans. Councilmember Bong moved to approve the purchase agreement as presented; the motion passed on a roll-call vote with Councilmember Watson casting the lone no vote.

The development agreement passed separately on a subsequent vote. City staff said the purchase is intended to accelerate a mixed-use redevelopment that includes workforce housing; public commenters and housing advocates at the hearing praised the inclusion of 56 workforce units in the proposed plan.

The agreements now allow Catalyst to proceed with required federal, state and city approvals and to submit site plans. The contracts require deposit payments and set nonrefundable milestones tied to due-diligence and development-approval periods; council members pressed Catalyst to increase nonrefundable deposits if the developer sought time extensions beyond the established schedule.

Catalyst’s next steps include geotechnical and design work, permitting with multiple agencies and negotiating necessary relocations for stormwater infrastructure. Councilmembers and staff said they expect the development to return to the council for routine approvals during the 18-month development-approval period.