Cape Coral stakeholder groups tours the Yacht Club to determine what will be saved

Luis Zambrano, Fort Myers News-Press
·3 min read
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A select group of residents shared their goodbyes and ideas for new beginnings they toured for what may be their last time in the closed-off Yacht Club Ballroom building as the city ponders and prepares to determine what parts of the historic building it will preserve.

Michael Przystawik, 62, said he appreciated the opportunity to give his input on a facility that means so much to him. He was among 12 residents drawn at random from 1,500 volunteers that the city selected as a stakeholder group. Ten of them toured the Hurricane Ian-damaged building Wednesday morning.

A group of randomly picked Cape Coral residents get a tour of the ballroom area of the Cape Coral Yacht Club on Wednesday, August 23, 2023. They met with Cape Coral officials and planners to come to a consensus on what should be done with some of the features of the historic building. It is being demolished to make room for a new building. The area and building around the Yacht club was closed after Hurricane Ian roared through the area.

"It will be sad to see it go," Przystawik said. "Cape Coral has nothing historic left. We used to have the Gulf American Land building on the corner of Cape Coral Parkway and Del Prado, but that's gone. The Rose Gardens are gone. There's really nothing left, so this is sort of the last stone."

His parents were founding members of the German-American Club in Cape Coral, when the club used the Yacht Club for meetings.

Whether it was Oktoberfest, training for competitive swimming, or even Santa making an appearance, it's a place that holds so much meaning to residents like him who remember the old Cape Coral.

Cape Coral was founded in 1957 by brothers Jack and Leonard Rosen and developed as a planned community, and the Yacht Club area developed in the early 1960s.

"Because I started coming here when I was so little, it's just you walk into this voluminous space and there's just a feeling," Przystawik said. "I can walk in here today and feel like I'm walking in there in the 1970s, so I'll miss that."

Michael Przystawik tours the Cape Coral Yacht Club on Wednesday, August 23, 2023. The area and building around the Yacht club was closed after Hurricane Ian roared through the area. A group of stakeholders from Cape Coral got a tour of the area to come to a consensus on what features to save. The building is getting torn down to make room for a new building. Przystawik grew up in Cape Coral and has many memories from the historic building.

Przystawik was among the 14 selected by the City of Cape Coral to provide a list of recommendations on what to preserve. Two were a no-show.

The other two, the representatives of the youth council and the historical society, will have a separate tour due to scheduling difficulties.

Ultimately, the council will look at the group's recommendations and vote to approve what to preserve.

The demolition of the yacht club's existing building has been contentious as residents and officials are mixed on the council's decision to take a "clean slate" approach in January to renovate the area and its facilities after Hurricane Ian paused the initial renovation plans.

The park contains the main ballroom, Tony Rotino Center, tennis courts, a pool, a pier, and a beach; all of which will be affected by the upcoming renovations.

A group of randomly picked Cape Coral residents get a tour of the ballroom area of the Cape Coral Yacht Club on Wednesday, August 23, 2023. They met with Cape Coral officials and planners to come to a consensus on what should be done with some of the features of the historic building. It is being demolished to make room for a new building. The area and building around the Yacht club was closed after Hurricane Ian roared through the area.

Since then, residents have petitioned the city to stop the demolition of the main ballroom and preserve it.

Despite the opposition, the council approved an amended contract with Kimley Horn in June.

The city of Cape Coral is eyeing an early 2024 date for the demolition and preservation of parts of the ballroom, which could cost up to $1 million.

James Pankonin, a landscape architect and urban designer with Kimley Horn, guided the members throughout the tour.

The fountain at the Cape Coral Yacht Club on Wednesday, August 23, 2023. The area and building around the Yacht club was closed after Hurricane Ian roared through the area. A group of stakeholders from Cape Coral got a tour of the area to come to a consensus on what features to save. The building is getting torn down to make room for a new building.

Pankonin said the consultants have already looked at elements worth preserving. They include the ceiling beams, stonework from the sides of the building and the fireplace, and the terrazzo flooring.

Przystawik agrees with the assessment but especially wants to see the fireplace preserved. The fireplace is made up of rectangular stones that reach over 6 inches each with a funnel reaching to the roof.

The pool area at the Cape Coral Yacht Club on Wednesday, August 23, 2023. The area and building around the Yacht club was closed after Hurricane Ian roared through the area. The pool will move to a different location.
The pool area at the Cape Coral Yacht Club on Wednesday, August 23, 2023. The area and building around the Yacht club was closed after Hurricane Ian roared through the area. The pool will move to a different location.

"If we don't save the fireplace, where is Santa going to sit every Christmas?" Przystawik said. He also suggests using the high beams as a decorative element rather than going through the hassle of incorporating it in the engineering.

Luis Zambrano is a Watchdog/Cape Coral reporter for The News-Press and the Naples Daily News. You can reach Luis at Lzambrano@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @Lz2official.

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Cape Coral residents tour the Yacht Club for the first time since Ian