August 2023
“Not perfect, but still paradise,” as our local Chamber of Commerce likes to say. An ideal way of recapping where we are in our rebuilding efforts after Hurricane Ian thrashed our much-loved destination last fall.
All of our public beaches have re-opened. At Lighthouse Beach Park, visitors can now enjoy a close-up view of our iconic 1884 lighthouse that lost one of its legs withstanding the storm. It’s become the symbol of our island’s strength and resiliency.
Close to 50 restaurants and shops have re-opened on Sanibel and Captiva, and all are encouraging guests to come visit and support our rebounding business community.
Most of our island attractions and water excursions have re-opened as well. Boat captains are reporting that, while fishing is a little different now due to shifting sands from the storm, marine life is coming back and our overall ecosystem is recovering.
Not surprisingly, there’s no better spot to see how nature is mending than at the J.N. “Ding” Darling Wildlife Refuge, which was featured in this CBS Sunday Morning episode earlier this summer.
For a full list of businesses and attractions that have re-opened, click here for the latest from the SanCap Chamber.
At Ocean’s Reach, we are working diligently at rebuilding our treasured complex. We were one of the condominium complexes hardest hit on the island and there is much that still lies ahead.
However, we have made amazing progress and – now that we finally have electricity again – we look forward to proceeding swiftly to the rest of our rebuilding plans.
Key items such as windows, sliders, doors and HVAC systems are starting to come in. Units and carports are being framed. Plumbing and electrical work has started. New roofing is underway. Preliminary proposals for a new pool, office and landscaping have been received. Owners are almost finished putting together floor plans for their individual units and contractors are being selected for when interior work can commence toward the end of the year.
On the other side of our complex, Andy has revealed that we’ve gained at least 50 yards of new beach due to the storm.
More sand. More shells. More special family memories to make as soon as we re-open. We’ll keep you posted …
