Hurricane Ian Razed Fort Myers’ Historic Rainbow Beach Cottages—Now, They’re Being Rebuilt as Multimillion-Dollar Homes

When Hurricane Ian tore through Florida in 2022, it destroyed not just thousands of homes, but decades of history—particularly in Fort Myers, where a collection of beloved rainbow-hued beach cottages were decimated by the horrifying storm. The properties, which made up an idyllic beachfront community called Paradise Point, had originally been built in the 1960s and had become a local treasure in the six decades before the Category 5 hurricane touched down in the Sunshine State. Further devastation came when the owners of those cottages, Dennis and Lisa Greenspon, announced that they would not make an effort to rebuild, saying in a statement that the structures were "no more." “We will miss all the close friendships that we have formed over the past 20 years,” the couple wrote on Oct. 4, 2022. “We will not be rebuilding. Cottages of Paradise Point is now a beautiful, cherished memory.” But nearly four years later, it seems a rainbow is set to rise on Fort Myers Beach once again—with work now underway to restore the brightly colored homes, albeit as part of a very hefty investment that will see the once-quaint cottages turned into multimillion-dollar abodes.Loading...When Hurricane I...