By John Sprecher & Emily Przybylo | Photography by Milissa Sprecher & Emily Przybylo
For downtown Fort Myers, the term “T.G.I.F.” has taken on a whole new meaning thanks to Friday’s fun-tastic walks. As you enjoy an evening walking the streets of downtown Fort Myers today, there’s an energy in the air that’s almost palpable. Restaurants are buzzing, watering holes are hopping, shops are cha-chinging and people from all walks — young or old, couples or large groups — are loving it. It may be hard to believe, but less than 10 years ago, downtown Fort Myers was almost a ghost town after hours. The amazing renaissance has been led by the Fort Myers Community Redevelopment Agency and Don Paight, Executive Director, points to three decisions that mark today’s success: the downtown street scape project; partnership with the River District Alliance; and the creation of a calendar-year full of special events, most notably Art Walk and Music Walk — each held on a specific Friday night of the month. “Collectively, the estimated attendance for the 50 events the River District Alliance markets annually is 175,000,” he notes. “The Walks have been a huge success, generating crowds and revenue on a year- round basis. Since we began, we’ve had over 65 new businesses move into downtown — retailers, restaurants, entertainment. What’s also unique is that with the exception of three chains, all of our
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