In the 1920’s, the Fort Myers Pleasure Pier Complex was erected West of the Caloosahatchee River Bridge.  By the 1940’s, the pier pilings had severely deteriorated. The pier was razed.

     The upstairs pavilion was saved.   It was transported upriver in 2 sections.  It was relocated to Edwards Drive.

     During World War 2, the relocated building served as a USO Center for soldiers stationed at Buckingham Gunnery School and Page Airfield.

     In 1965, the Fort Myers Chamber of Commerce converted the building into the Tourist Center.  The building was remodeled in 1981.  It was also known as The Hall of 50 States.

    Currently, the building is unused.  Its future is uncertain.

The Caloosahatchee Bridge was built in 1962. Due to legal issues it did not open until 1964. It carries Cleveland Avenue across the Caloosahatchee River. The south side of the bridge passes over Centennial Park.

It is a concrete girder fixed bridge. It is 55 feet tall. There are four lanes.

On November 1st, 2018, the process of dismantling another Chicago landmark is set to begin. The Chicago Avenue Bridge over the North Branch of the Chicago River.is set to be demolished. The current bridge was built over 104 years ago. This is a steel pony truss bascule bridge. It would have been eligible to be on the National Register of Historic Spaces. During its life span, there have been 14 Chicago mayors and 18 U.S. Presidents. Due to lack of regular maintenance, the current bridge has severely deteriorated. It currently supports only one.lame of traffic in each direction.

The current project will be occurring in stages. The current bridge will be removed. For a period of months, there will be no bridge at this site. A temporary bridge will be installed. It will have 3 lanes–2 eastbound and one westbound.

The permanent bridge will be installed in 2021. It will be a fixed bridge. It will have two lanes in each direction.

Old Chicago Avenue Bridge

Old Chicago Avenue Bridge

Bridge House Chicago Avenue Bridge

This Drive In was located at Firano Drive and Davis Boulevard in Naples, Florida. It opened on February 29, 1974. The facility was built by A.W. Cook, Jr of Cook Theaters. He was the contractor for the facility. It had a capacity of 700 cars on two parking ramps. There were 2 screens measuring 80 X 40 feet. Air conditioning units were available for the cars.

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     The drive in was part of a family recreational center.  Included was the drive in theater, miniature golf course, and a driving range.There was a flea market on Saturday and Sunday. Different movie formats were attempted including first run movies, B movies, X and R rated movies.

     The drive in property was sold to a new owner from Fort Lauderdale.  In 1994, they hired Jack Hegarty and his family to manage the Naples Drive In.  He previously managed drive in theaters and worked for General Cinema of Fort Lauderdale.  Changes made by the new management included year long operation of the drive in, farmers market and flea markets Saturday and Sunday. 

   Last movie were shown on April 30, 2006.   Property was sold.  The drive in was demolished.  The property was redeveloped for luxury homes.

   

 The Lincoln Drive In opened at 3901 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, Fort.Myers on February 19, 1953.  It was advertised as a theater for people of color only. The Lincoln closed.  It reopened on May 9, 1953 as the Starlite Drive In.

     In 1955, the theater was operated by M. Solomon and ABC Theatrical Enterprises.  The parking ramp had a capacity of 350 cars.  It closed in January, 1970.    It was demolished.

The City Drive In Fort Myers was located at 3853 Cleveland Avenue. It opened in 1952. The theater was opened by C.L. Singleton and Park T. Pigott. By 1955, it was operated by Robert Blatchley. Its capacity was 388 cars. Blatchley also operated the Lee Theater in Fort Myers.

The drive in closed in March, 1966. It was demolished. At one time a K Mart occupied the site. There currently is a Floor and Decor Store at the site.

 

This facility is located at 10 Pine Island Rd. North Fort Myers.

Twistee Treat was a corporate owned chain of ice cream stores founded in 1983. It originated in the North Fort Myers area. It had 23 locations. It was notable for its building in the shape of a soft serve ice cream cone. The chain went bankrupt in the 1990’s.

A new Twistee Treat Company was formed in the Orlando area in 1996. The new company had 35 locations in Florida and Missouri.

In 2010, a new company called Twistee Treat USA was formed. It acquired the patents and the rights of the predecessors. It purchased buildings owned by previous franchisees. Several privately owned locations of the prior companies were allowed to maintain this status. They were given the right to use the Twistee Treat name and the building. design. All new locations are company owned.

    The Northside Drive In is located at 2521 N. Tamiami Trail in North Fort Myers.  It opened  on February 4, 1949 with the name Fort Myers Drive In.  It was operated by S.J. Geiger and Exhibitors Services Company (Jacksonville,FL).  It featured a parking ramp for 500 cars.  There were in car speakers for all of the cars.

     In 1954, the screen was enlarged to allow allow for projection of Cinemascope Movies.

     In 1969, Floyd theaters acquired the Fort Myers Drive In, the Edison Theater, and land for the future Southside Drive In.

     In August 12, 1970, the Fort Myers Drive In was reopened as the Northside Drive In.

     In 1979, a second screen was added to the drive in.

     In January 1996, the drive in was purchased by by Carmike Cinemas.  It was subsequently sold to an independent operator.  The drive in was operational until 2004 at which time it closed.

     The site is currently operated as a flea market.    The property is currently.for sale.

     The Lee Theater was located at the corner of Main Street and Hendry in Fort Myers.  It opened in 1941.  The architect was Frank Bail.  Construction costs were $52,000.    The theater was built for the Cojac Theater chain.  This was a subsidiary of Warner Brothers.    It had one screen and a capacity of 600 seats.   It was still operational as an independent theater as late as 1961.  The building was apparently demolished.