The Estero Village Council on Wednesday gave the go-ahead to a 135- room hotel that would be built along Interstate 75 at Miromar Outlets. The ve-story hotel is planned on just over two acres in the northwest corner of the outlet mall’s boundaries. The site currently serves as a parking lot. Estero’s Village Council approved two ordinances granting zoning changes that would allow a hotel on the proposed property. Miromar is in discussion with potential hotel brands, but one has not been chosen for the site, said Michael Elgin, the director of planning and property management for Miromar Development Corporation. Developers must go before Estero’s Design Review Board to obtain a development order before vertical construction can begin. The Miromar Outlet hotel is one of four hotel projects throughout the village that have made their way through Estero’s community development process this year. “This is a perfect location for this,” said Estero Councilor Howard Levitan. “I think the mall will help the hotel and I think the hotel will help the mall.” Developers for the hotel requested a few amendments to the surrounding development area and to the zoning of the property to make way for the hotel’s construction. The project sought permission to serve alcohol on the property between 7 a.m. and midnight. Developers requested a 75-foot maximum height for the building so the building could accommodate architectural design elements.

Councilors discussed parking, pedestrian safety

Estero councilors questioned project representatives on parking and safe paths for pedestrians around the hotel site. Plans for the hotel show a parking lot just south of the building. An existing nearby parking lot that serves the neighboring outlet mall also would be used as extra hotel parking. The hotel and the mall would enter into a joint use agreement to make that possible. The project is required to provide pedestrian walkways between the parking lots to the hotel and the outlet mall. Councilors asked for more information about what would happen at and around the hotel site when events happen at Hertz Arena, formerly known as Germain Arena. “I’m still nervous about the concept of what happens when there’s a really big event at the arena,” said Councilman Jim Wilson. The village asked the developers to work with operators of Hertz Arena to provide safe pedestrian access from the hotel and outlet mall to events at the arena.
“People that park at Miromar to walk to the arena just ll up that street,” Levitan said. “I think we have to protect our people.”
At a public information meeting earlier this year, developers initially presented plans for a 175-room hotel at the Miromar site. Estero’s Planning and Zoning Board recommended approval of the project with conditions at a meeting in September