SUNSHINE SEAFOOD CAFÉ &Captiva Island Inn breaks ground, rebuilds stronger years after Hurricane Ian

Captiva Island Inn is finally making a comeback after being destroyed by Hurricane Ian three years ago. The inn broke ground on Wednesday, marking the start of its reconstruction.

Sandy Stilwell Youngquist, CEO and owner of Captiva Island Inn, remembered the destruction caused by Ian.

“It was heartbreaking,” she said. “The first day we came on the island was two days after the hurricane, and we came by boat, and we walked our way down the street full of muck. It was just devastation all over the place.”

Despite the damage, Youngquist shared a silver lining.

“Every single restaurant was able to be saved, but some of the buildings were not that were part of the inn, and so that’s why we’re celebrating,” she said.

The construction of the inn is the first ground-up accommodation project on Captiva since Hurricane Ian. This new version promises to be more resilient against future storms.

Mark Stevens, president of Stevens Construction, emphasized the change in approach following the storm.

“Hurricane Ian changed our entire thinking,” he said. “As builders and design teams, we need to rethink how we’re building buildings.”

Stevens Construction plans to elevate the inn and support it with concrete to withstand storm surges, high winds, and flooding.

“They have over 100 pilings in the ground, over 20 feet deep, that will support the structure of the building and all the way up,” Stevens said. “Previously, none of that underground work really existed. So that’s what ultimately washed a lot of these buildings away.”

While Stevens focuses on the rebuild, Youngquist is excited about running the place again.

“Greeting the guests and checking them in, like I used to,” she said. “And it will still have the beautiful charm of times gone by. I’m very excited.”