The Order in Which Fort Myers Gets Its West Riverfront Back

The west end of First Street is reopening one property at a time, and boats came back first. Legacy Harbour Marina is taking slip reservations again after a rebuild of about $15 million. The old Chart House and Joe's Crab Shack building next door, at the foot of the Caloosahatchee Bridge, is a construction site that its new tenant hopes to open around early January. Nearby, the City of Fort Myers Yacht Basin has been behind fencing since Hurricane Ian. From now through the holidays, the river is easier to reach by boat than by a dinner reservation.

Legacy Harbour Went First

Southern Boating reported on October 5 that the redevelopment at 2044 West First Street is complete and the first boats are back at the docks. Construction began in early 2025, more than two years after Ian destroyed the docks in September 2022.

The basics:

• Size: 13 acres with 131 wet slips for boats from 40 to 140 feet
• Who rebuilt it: AIRN Management, working with Bellingham Marine
• Who owns it: AIRN Management, which operates the marina under a lease with the City of Fort Myers
• At the slip: potable water, in-slip pump-out, fire suppression, dock boxes, and single- and three-phase power
• Booking: seasonal and short-term stays through Dockwa

The marina sits at Marker 49, where boats cruising the Okeechobee Waterway have long stopped to get to downtown. A March announcement from the marina's public relations firm targeted a May 2026 reopening. No published source gives the exact day the first boat tied up, and the marina's own homepage still describes the project as under construction. The October trade report is the most recent account.

So the docks are ready before the dining room next door. A boat arriving this month gets rebuilt docks, power, and pump-out, and its crew walks to the River District for dinner. The restaurant directly beside the slips isn't open yet.

Next Door, the Kitchen Has Been Torn Out

The building at 2024 West First Street has hosted two waterfront restaurants. According to Gulfshore Business, Chart House opened there in 1984, Joe's Crab Shack took over in the early 2000s, and Joe's lease ended in May 2025. Its next tenant is Len Lemmer, owner of Nervous Nellie's on Fort Myers Beach. He has signed a 25-year lease and plans to open Nellie's Boatyard there.

In late August, Business Observer reported a late-2026 target. In an October 8 News-Press update, Lemmer told food reporter Robyn George the date has moved:

"We'll probably end up (opening Nellie's Boatyard) maybe 30 days later than we originally hoped. Maybe early January."

He described the site in the same story: "It's a construction site. We tore the kitchen out. We'll be redoing that. Tore the bar top off. Tore out the flooring." The News-Press noted that the building's 82 windows facing the Caloosahatchee were left in good shape.

Lemmer has described the food as aged steaks and plenty of seafood, served as "relaxed dining," not fine dining. The News-Press put it somewhere between the two restaurants that came before it. Half the menu will come from Nervous Nellie's and half will be new. Some of the new dishes are on the menu at the beach location now, at 1131 First St. on Fort Myers Beach, so you can try them before the downtown room opens. Lemmer bought that beach property in early July after leasing it for years.

None of the coverage says whether the restaurant will set aside dock space for diners arriving by boat. For now, the confirmed way to arrive by water is to reserve a slip at Legacy Harbour, which is part of the same development.

The City Basin Comes Last

The City Yacht Basin is the third piece, and it has the furthest to go. In July, WINK News reported that Mayor Kevin Anderson and U.S. Rep. Greg Steube met on July 7 to try to speed up the project. At that point the basin was still waiting on an Army Corps of Engineers permit, which city leaders called one of the last hurdles before construction could begin. No newer update turned up in local coverage since then. Treat the July status as the latest known, not a confirmed current one.

That puts the three properties on different schedules. AIRN rebuilt Legacy Harbour under its lease and finished. The building next door changed hands between restaurant operators, and its new tenant is working through a renovation. The public basin is still waiting on a federal permit before construction can start.

Boat Show Week Shows All Three at Once

The 53rd Fort Myers Boat Show comes back downtown Thursday through Sunday, November 12 to 15. The organizer bills it as the largest display of boats and boating products on Florida's Gulf Coast. Southern Boating pointed out that the marina's return lands right before the show. Visitor guides list the show around City Yacht Basin, Centennial Park, and the Caloosa Sound Convention Center. The organizer advertises free parking at City of Palms Park with shuttles to the entrances.

Dealer listings show $20 admission but disagree on hours. One says 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily and another says 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., so check the organizer's page before you go.

During show week, visiting boats can tie up at a rebuilt Legacy Harbour. The restaurant beside those slips won't be serving yet, and the show itself sets up around a city basin that is still waiting to be rebuilt.

The Season, in the Order It Arrives

The River District's regular nights fill in the calendar around the riverfront schedule. One more longtime local restaurant returns in the same window.

The River District's event listings carry the walk dates. Roadhouse Café's return comes from the same News-Press roundup as Nellie's Boatyard. Marc and Sherri Neeley closed the original south Fort Myers restaurant in Gulf Points Square, off San Carlos Boulevard, and are reopening it in a space of more than 7,500 square feet at Miners Plaza. Marc Neeley told the paper: "We're a bit behind the original schedule. However, we're hopeful for an early November opening." The chandeliers and the piano bar are coming back. The menu is nearly identical, and about 90 percent of the staff is returning. New this time are two private dining rooms, a 48-seat patio, and a bar twice the old size.

Both reopenings are running behind their original targets, and both owners are still giving soft dates. Roadhouse's sign is already up at Miners Plaza. Nellie's Boatyard still has to install a new kitchen. If you're planning a holiday dinner with out-of-town guests, the River District's existing restaurants and the walk nights are on firm dates. The new waterfront room on First Street may not be open until after New Year's.

If boating is part of how you picture your Fort Myers winter, whether that's a slip near downtown, a home on the water, or a place to keep the boat between seasons up north, I'm glad to talk through how the river is reopening and what that could mean for you. Emily Durgan follows these changes closely on both of her markets' waterfronts. Let's Connect.