Hermosa II Reaches Substantial Completion in North Fort Myers

Hermosa II, the second building at our Hermosa senior community in North Fort Myers, has reached substantial completion. Final certificates of occupancy have been issued, and the first residents start moving in over the next few weeks. We spent a day on site recently photographing the finished building, the grounds and a few resident furnished units, as well as gathering footage of phase II of the property. A first look is below.

About Hermosa

Hermosa is a two-phase affordable senior housing community at 16321 N. Cleveland Avenue in North Fort Myers. Hermosa I and Hermosa II together add 160 new one- and two-bedroom apartments to Lee County, all reserved for seniors. Hermosa I opened first and has residents living in it now. Hermosa II adds 72 more apartments. Both buildings share a community center with internet-enabled computers, a fitness center, a community kitchen and game room, a swimming pool, and several onsite managers.

Senior housing in North Fort Myers

Florida's affordable housing shortage is well documented, and the squeeze on seniors is worse than the headline numbers suggest. Rents across the state have climbed sharply over the past several years while a large share of older Floridians live on fixed incomes that have not moved at all. In Southwest Florida, recent storm seasons pulled housing stock off the market right as demand was rising. Income-restricted senior communities are built to answer that directly: new, professionally managed apartments at rents that stay affordable.

We chose the site for its location. The N. Cleveland Avenue corridor puts grocery stores, pharmacies, medical offices, banks, parks and restaurants within a short drive, which matters to residents who want to stay independent.

Who built it

Hermosa is a partnership between Birdsong Housing Partners, ReVital Development Group and the Lee County Housing Authority. Hermosa I was funded through the Florida Housing Finance Corporation's competitive 9% housing credit program, with SHIP funding from Lee County and a conventional construction-to-permanent loan. Hermosa II was funded through FHFC's SAIL program with tax-exempt bonds and 4% housing credits, plus SHIP and CDBG-DR funding from Lee County. Hermosa I closed in October 2024. Hermosa II closed that December. Construction has run steadily since. Each of those programs exists because land, insurance and construction costs in this market have outrun what the private market can deliver on its own at these rents. Stacking them together is how 160 apartments got built.

What substantial completion means

A building is substantially complete when it can be used for what it was built for. What's left after that is administrative: final inspections, certificates of occupancy issued unit by unit, and move-in scheduling with residents. For Hermosa II, that work is underway now. Residents should start moving in within a few weeks.

Leasing

Pre-leasing is open on phase II. Seniors interested in applying can enter the application lottery at hermosa.pmiflorida.com or call 239-539-5636. The property is managed onsite.

We'll be posting more photos, drone footage and resident stories as the community fills in.