The Lee Board of County Commissioners voted October 19, 2021, to approve funding agreements with the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity for $4.5 million to harden the roofs, windows and doors at Hertz Arena, 11000 Everglades Parkway, and $2.8 million to do the same at FGCU’s Alico Arena, 12181 FGCU Lake Parkway, which both serve as emergency shelters.
The grants cover 100% of the cost of hardening these critical facilities, which have served as shelters during emergency declarations in Lee County as well as elsewhere in Florida.
The federal Community Development Block Grant Mitigation (CDBG-MIT) program made these funds available after Hurricane Irma when Lee County was designated a Most Impacted and Distressed area by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The Board approved the grant applications in June 2020.