Estero

Not many people move from Abu Dhabi to Estero — even fewer move from Abu Dhabi and open a multi-million-dollar entertainment center.But Tony Sandhu did just that. 810 Billiards and Bowling opens Thursday in the Miromar Outlets.

Golf Coast opened more than 30 years ago, before Estero High School existed, before nearby Coconut Point existed, before the village existed.The driving range has been on life support since the Village of Estero purchased the 10-acre site for $4.25 million in April 2022. The plans call for the village to develop the driving range and contiguous property into a community entertainment center.

A flood insurance issue that could end up costing millions for residents in unincorporated Lee County and several of the county's cities will be aired Tuesday at the Board of County Commissioners meeting.At stake is federal flood insurance community ratings in unincorporated Lee County and multiple municipalities in the county. FEMA confirmed Monday that unpermitted work, lack of documentation, and failure to properly monitor the rebuilding of properties in flood hazard areas in the post-Hurricane Ian world is why the federal government has chosen to significantly downgrade those ratings.That means federal flood insurance policy holders — there are more than 51,000 in unincorporated Lee County alone — will lose their 25 percent discounts on flood insurance premiums come Oct. 1. Some 64,000 policy holders in Bonita Springs, Estero and Cape Coral will no longer quality for the discounts until possibly spring 2026.The matter will be discussed in further detail when the Lee County Board of County Commissioners meet for their regular board meeting at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday.

Residents of The Brooks in Estero lost their appeal Wednesday to stop a 4-story apartment complex from being built at the northeast corner of Three Oaks Parkway and Coconut Road.Long Bay Partners LLC, Top-CR Associates LLC and PAC Estero Apartments plan to tear down the former Winn-Dixie grocery store at the Brooks Town Center to make room for the 137 high-end apartments.

The fight against a 4-story apartment complex at the northeast corner of Three Oaks Parkway and Coconut Road in Estero is not over.Residents of the Brooks filed an appeal this week with the Village of Estero to reconsider giving the developers of the apartment complex a development order.

The Village of Estero has less than 200 acres of land available for development, which has prompted community leaders and residents to assess how best to handle the explosive growth in the village and surrounding areas.

More than 2,500 residents of The Brooks in Estero are signees on a petition against a four-story apartment complex now before the Village of Estero Planning, Zoning & Design Board and slated to be built in their community's Town Center — the site of a former Winn-Dixie grocery store and other businesses.

810 Billiards and Bowling’s concept has many entertainment drivers. The Estero center will have 16 bowling lanes, eight billiard tables, four lanes for axe-throwing, dart-tossing lanes and 50 arcade games. The bar and dining area will be able to hold 100. Patrons will be able to try one of 810’s newest ideas, Mean Mugs Milkshake Bar.

Gianna Clemente won’t have a difficult time if she is assigned to write an essay on how she spent her summer vacation.The Estero 15-year-old, the number-one ranked junior female by Golfweek and the third by the American Junior Golf Association, will chalk up the frequent flyer miles during the next two months.

The Residences at the Brooks took another step toward approval Tuesday night when the Estero Planning Zoning and Design Board approved the 154-unit apartment complex. The apartments were the first of two projects the planning board moved forward. It also approved a development order for Via Coconut, a mixed-use project with 330 multi-family units and 29,000 square feet of commercial space, including a possible church.