Photo by Frank Steiger
Island residents and current visitors can see first-hand that things are finally returning to normal. But our snowbirds and future visitors may be reading conflicting online stories concerning the status of business on the island.
Marco Island Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Dianna Dohm says, “The Island is getting back to business. The Chamber is receiving a number of calls from future visitors and snowbirds and we are very happy to tell them all the restaurants and businesses that were scheduled to be open at this time of the year are open.”
Although by October 1st the island should be close to its pre-Irma state, there still may be some businesses that are undergoing repairs. Dohm advised, “We may have a few hotels and condos completing their final repairs, so we encourage people to call their booking agents and/or associations to get the latest update.”
Despite the widely circulated photo of Marco Florist, Home and Gifts appearing underwater post- Irma (above), the shop was able to reopen and be fully functioning only days after the storm. The store has resumed its normal business hours. Photo by Ginny Reiman
Submitted Photo
That isn’t to say that Hurricane Irma didn’t affect the Marco real estate market. “The storm affected our entire community, including real estate,” O’Rourke says.
O’Rourke explains that there was a two week period of storm preparation and recovery where “real estate-related activities were limited, and some pending sales were delayed closing.” But, he adds: “Those parties are now working hard to get the sales completed.”
Marco’s environmental beauty, which draws visitors far and wide each year, was not lost to Hurricane Irma. Social media has been filled with images of nature, most notably, the world-famous Marco Island beaches. Dohm noted, “Our beach is resilient and is just as breathtaking as it was before the hurricane.”
Dohm summed it up perfectly: “We are #MarcoStrong and the Paradise Coast is clear.”
That front page article bends the truth just a bit! All the work needing to be done will certainly NOT be done quickly. If people have rentals, they may be staring at concrete block walls and wooden studs for a while! But I understand we must not upset the snowbirds!