The Housing Authority of the city of Fort Myers began demolition May 1 of the existing Southward Village community to make way for new, updated affordable housing options for the greater Dunbar community. The project will transform the 37-acre, 199-unit public housing community into a mixed-income community. The large-scale revitalization is part of the Greater Dunbar Initiative, a comprehensive transformation plan that aims to improve existing affordable housing units for residents while expanding choices, creating market-rate amenities and adding new mixed-income housing. The project includes the creation of at least 465 mixed-income units across Southward Village and an additional site on Cleveland Avenue to meet the growing needs of Southward Village residents and the surrounding community. Construction at the Southward Village site will begin in the first quarter of 2025. The Greater Dunbar Initiative is funded in part through a $30 million Choice Neighborhood Initiative grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
