Southwest Florida Housing Foundation breaks ground on Strayhorn Place

FORT MYERS, Fla. - EntSun -- The Housing Authority of the City of Fort Myers's nonprofit development arm, Southwest Florida Affordable Housing Choice Foundation, officially broke ground on its newest property, Strayhorn Place, which will feature 80 units for low-income seniors ages 62 and up.

The Housing Authority and Foundation team gathered with community leaders, project partners and supporters on May 16 for the groundbreaking. During the ceremony, attendees heard from Marcia Davis, executive director of Housing Authority, as well as State Rep. Jenna Persons-Mulicka and other local officials and supporters.

Strayhorn Place, located at 1935 Lafayette Street in Fort Myers, will replace the housing option once available at the former Royal Palm Towers, a 60-year-old, 11-story building in downtown Fort Myers. Strayhorn Place will offer modern amenities to help residents age in place, including an on-site gym, a small health clinic, business center, movie theater, senior cafe and more. It will also be designed to include unique safety features such as designated hurricane shelter built to host residents and an additional 40 senior care adults in the event of future storms.

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The Foundation named the new property in honor of E. Bruce Strayhorn, the Housing Authority's board member and chairman since 1988. Strayhorn is a Fort Myers native and attorney at Strayhorn & Persons-Mulicka. Over the 37 years of his service on the Housing Authority board, he has played a pivotal role in securing funding and supporting initiatives that address housing needs and strengthen neighborhoods. The name serves as a lasting tribute to his dedication to affordable housing and the community he loves.

The project is made possible through the Southwest Florida Housing Foundation and $17.7 million in CDBG-DR (Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery) funding by the Lee County Board of County Commissioners and its dedicated staff. Project partners and supporters include Mayor Kevin Anderson and the Fort Myers City Council, Chris-Tel Construction, Community Development Reimagined, Studio+ and Ink Engineering, Inc.

To learn more about the Housing Authority, visit HACFM.org (https://www.hacfm.org/) or call 239-344-3220.