Demolition of Cape Coral's Yacht Club slated for April will cost almost $1 million
The city of Cape Coral is preparing for the demolition of the Yacht Club and its facilities in April as it awaits permits.
Cape Coral's Yacht Club Community Park, which includes a yacht basin, tennis courts, a swimming pool, a ballroom, and a beach, has served as a popular attraction and staple for the city since the 1960s but is set to undergo major renovations.
"It should start in April," said David Hyyti, interim director of capital improvements, during a committee of the whole meeting on Wednesday.
Demolition of the Yacht Club was previously set for late December/January. Despite plans for its renovation, Hurricane Ian on September 28, 2022, demolished the buildings and shoreline, requiring a massive change in plans.
Here's what we know:
What are the current plans for the Yacht Club?
The city had planned in early 2022 to close the park for two years for renovations that included replacing the seawalls and marina wet slips, replacing the harbormaster building and boat ramp, and building a three-story parking garage and beach restrooms. The beach would also be expanded, and utilities relocated.
Then Hurricane Ian struck, delaying plans, and shuttering the beach for more than a year.
Since that time, Kimley Horn, a consulting firm focusing on public and private developments, has been working with the city to revamp renovations.
These plans now include a new two-story community center to replace the ballroom, removing the tennis courts, rearranging the area to accommodate a four-story parking garage, a new restaurant, and a new resort-style pool.
Previous discussions said the project could cost up to $100 million.
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Who has been contracted?
Johnson-Laux Construction, a full-service construction management firm that operates out of Winter Garden, has been contracted for the demolition and deconstruction of the Yacht Club.
The firm is also tasked with preserving a portion of the old ballroom building, which includes interior ceiling beams, stonework, a fountain, and the front glass doors with the Yacht Club written on them.
What will it cost?
A contract was awarded to the construction firm on Feb 26 after piggybacking off other entities' existing contracts for a fixed price of $987,716.04.
How long will it take?
Once the permits from the Army Corps of Engineers and the Florida Department of Environmental Protections are approved, work will begin within 30 days and take 60 days to complete.
Construction will not affect the now-open beach area.
If the work starts in April, complete demolition could be finished by July or August.
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 Yacht Club: Here's what's going on with demolition, plans
