You may remember that WINK in Ft. Myers had their building flooded when Hurricane Ian came ashore in Southwest Florida.

The station will not stand by to see if history repeats itself.

WINK announced that they had found a new building further inland and purchased it for $18.5 million.

Constructing a building that size from scratch in today’s market would cost at least about $300 per square foot—or north of $17 million. But the construction time would have been about two years. The transition into this building should happen within one year, said Mark Gilson, operations manager at WINK-TV.   

“The move, meticulously planned and executed, will begin immediately and unfold over the course of the next year,” Gilson said. “As each department’s space is fully built out in the new center, they will seamlessly transition into their new environment. This phased approach ensures minimal disruption to our operations and continuity of services for our viewers and listeners.”   

WINK-TV has been broadcasting from 2824 Palm Beach Blvd. since 1954. The long-term future use of that 32,551-square-foot building remains uncertain. 

H/T WINK