Fort Myers Beach advisory board: underground exhibit remains closed as engineering, legal reviews continue

The Fort Myers Beach Cultural and Environmental Learning Center Advisory Board was told March 27 that the Mound House’s underground exhibit will remain closed for the foreseeable future while staff and outside experts complete engineering, environmental and legal reviews.

Board members heard from Adam Knight, a Mount House staff member, that civil and structural engineers, industrial hygienists and the architectural firm that designed earlier work on the property are preparing written assessments. Knight said those reports will be needed to evaluate “feasibility, mitigation and next steps” before any reopening can be planned.

The advisory board was told the review covers multiple issues: the concrete underground structure was built in 2009 and has been intermittently flooded by storms and high tides; there is a potential presence of human remains that could trigger state procedures; and town attorneys are examining applicable law and local code. Knight listed federal and state laws under review by the town’s counsel, including the historic preservation review process (Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act), the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) and a state statute described in the meeting as “872” dealing with human remains.

“Once those reports come back — engineering, environmental and legal — we’ll have a much clearer road map,” Knight said, adding he did not expect the underground exhibit to reopen next month.

Vice Mayor Jim Matterhold and several advisory board members pressed for clearer timelines and for the town to involve people with institutional knowledge of the site. Teresa, the project’s former director who led design work years ago, was repeatedly discussed as a potential consultant; board members said her detailed knowledge of the underground exhibit’s original construction and maintenance could help outside reviewers interpret what they find.

Experts who have visited described the underground element as an unusual modern concrete structure with entry at grade to an archaeological site, a configuration some engineers said they had not expected to see. Knight said engineers recommended looking at modifications to the structure and that additional archaeological mitigation may be required before work proceeds. That remediation, board members were warned, could lengthen schedules and increase cost because archaeological work is “long and slow.”

The board discussed several interim steps staff have taken to limit further deterioration, including repairing irrigation and leaving a temporary wooden ventilation structure at the underground entrance to reduce trapped moisture. Knight said staff are also collecting quotes and detailed recommendations from firms and specialists who visited the site, and that town attorneys are consulting outside sources and local historians to understand the property’s institutional record.

Board members and staff also discussed funding and insurance. Knight said the Mount House and underground exhibit historically have been insured as a single property and that FEMA and insurance claims related to recent storms remain in process; the exact allocation of insurance or FEMA funds to the underground exhibit was not known at the meeting. The board asked Knight to report back next month with any new information; Knight said attorneys’ findings and outside technical reports will determine whether staff can present a budget and timeline.

Members urged the town to maintain clear communication with volunteers and donors while the review is underway and to preserve institutional records that could assist legal and technical reviews. No decisions to repair, partially reopen or raze the structure were made at the meeting.