Lee County just gave the green light to put $20 million of Hurricane Ian recovery money toward building The Arwyn, a $93.6 million affordable housing project at 5300-5360 Summerlin Road in Fort Myers. The site used to be the Horizon Apartments, but after Hurricane Ian, the need for more housing became too urgent to ignore. The Arwyn will add 230 income-restricted rental units, all locked in for 30 years of affordability.
This isn’t a small patch job. It’s a full-scale redevelopment that replaces an old 172-unit property with three modern buildings and a real sense of community. You’ll see a big clubhouse (over 4,000 square feet), spots for grilling, covered pavilions, community gardens, and a dog park. Every apartment gets its own washer and dryer, no more shared laundry rooms.
The project’s serious about sustainability too. They’re building to hit the National Green Building Standard (NGBS) Silver level, using tough concrete masonry and smart stormwater systems. It’s forward-thinking, not just a quick fix.
All this comes out of Lee County’s $1.1 billion federal recovery pot, specifically from Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds. Horizons Owner LLC is handling the development, and the county has already signed off on the loan documents.
Here’s how it breaks down:
– Groundbreaking happened on February 10, 2026.
– Crews have to start on-site construction by February 28, 2026.
– By March 2027, the project needs to hit the halfway mark.
– The whole thing should wrap up by February 28, 2028, and new residents should move in by December of that year.
The property will run on a 99-year ground lease with the Housing Authority of the City of Fort Myers. So, it’s here to stay. For anyone in Lee County still looking for help after the hurricane, the LeeCares Hurricane Ian Recovery portal is open.
