$362M urban revitalization project wins $30M federal grant

FORT MYERS — A $362 million initiative to revitalize and transform a portion of the Dunbar community, east of downtown Fort Myers, has received a $30 million federal grant.    

The Housing Authority of the City of Fort Myers and the City of Fort Myers recently announced the grant, from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The project, the Greater Dunbar Initiative, is a comprehensive transformation plan for the large-scale revitalization of the 37-acre, 199-unit Southward Village into a mixed-income community, according to a statement. The project, adds statement,  “improves existing affordable housing units for residents while expanding choices, creating market-rate amenities, and adding new mixed-income housing to create a resilient and healthy neighborhood moving forward.