Here's what will be preserved in the new Cape Coral Yacht Club building
The Cape Coral City Council will preserve and recreate a few aspects of the Yacht Club ballroom building into a new development based on a volunteer group's suggestions.
There were four recommendations on what should be preserved: Interior ceiling beams, stonework, fountain, and the front glass doors with the Yacht Club written on them.
City Council decided this week that the front doors will be used in the final development, but the other recommended pieces will be recreated or incorporated as aesthetics only.
"To me, the concept is more important than the physical material you are trying to save," Mayor John Gunter said.
The city of Cape Coral is eyeing an early 2024 date for the complete demolition of the Yacht Club's facilities, which could cost up to $1 million.
The Cape Coral Yacht Club Community Park is the city's premier gemstone, but Hurricane Ian, a Category 5 storm, devastated the area on Sept. 28, leading to the park's closure and community contention on what will happen with the property.
Previous discussions estimated that it could take years to repair the Yacht club and as much as $100 million to renovate the entire area. The city will then provide the council with finance options, possibly going the route of using bonds as previously discussed.
Previous coverage Cape Coral stakeholder groups tours the Yacht Club to determine what will be saved
Related Cape Coral Yacht Club demolitions and preservation could cost up to $1 million.
Stakeholders Group
Approximately 1,400 residents responded to join the stakeholder group that made the recommendations on what to preserve. Twelve residents were chosen randomly, while the city chose an additional two, one representative for the historical society and one for the youth council.
The group was tasked with deciding what elements of the Yacht Club Ballroom building should be preserved and incorporated into a new building meaningfully.
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.
Despite the opposition, the council approved an amended contract with Kimley Horn in June.
James Pankonin, a landscape architect and urban designer with Kimley Horn, presented the information.
These were the items considered for preservation:
Interior ceiling beams
Fireplace Stonework
Chandeliers/Scones
Terrazzo flooring
Fountain
Exterior Beams
Exterior Posts/Beam supports
Councilmembers discussion
Councilmember Tom Hayden, who is the only member against the demolition, said the recommendations made sense.
"I don't think there are any big surprises in what the group saw and may want to incorporate into the new design," Hayden said.
He wanted the fireplace made of stonework and the fountain to either be recreated or used in some fashion.
Hayden also recommended dedicating a room to the old Yacht Club building filled with memorabilia and historical antiques and something dedicated to the original space of the ballroom.
"I think it would be nice, somewhere outside, to have a plaque near where the structure is that says that this was the site of the original Yacht Club," Hayden said.
Councilmember Robert Welsh said he liked the fountain and wanted the plaque attached to it, which is dedicated to an employee's service, saved.
Gunter said he wanted to prioritize saving many of these recommendations through concept if the physical material proves too difficult to preserve.
He said from his experience dealing with fireplaces, the materials tend to crumble when trying to remove them. He extends the same feeling to the beams and fountain.
"If we can grab a small section, great, but if we can't, that's okay too."
Although he was fully in support of keeping the glass door and incorporating them as doors into the room Hayden recommended.
Councilmember Steinke echoed the mayor's sentiments. He recommended commissioning an artist to make items out of the materials, which will go to benefit the Cape Coral Museum of History.
Councilmember Patty Cummings liked the suggestions and wanted a plaque that tells the story of why the Yacht Club was changed with a mention of Hurricane Ian.
On the beams, councilmember Jessica Cosden wanted the city to preserve and use the beams if possible.
Councilmember Dan Sheppard said he didn't want to limit the potential designs of the area, and he'd rather not see a room dedicated to the old Yacht Club.
He said a local artist can instead use the material to create art like a history wall with history text.
"I'm more for that than try to design a building with a room that I don't think a lot of people are going to use," Sheppard said.
Councilmember Keith Long also agreed with the idea of preserving and avoiding big costs. He also wants to see a dedicated room in the new building.
Toward the end of the discussion, Hayden became exasperated by the lack of support from the rest of the council for preserving the original pieces.
"I don't want to look at this as some sort of effort with smoke and mirrors where we just decided we needed to do this just to get their input to cover ourselves and be proud that we did it," Hayden said. "There's no reason to do these groups if we don't do what they say."
Welsh and Cummings countered and brought up issues with logistics and cost when speaking on the beams.
"I'm not for spending the extra money to remove them," Cummings said. "We can go and try to save what we can once, and I hate to use the word but, when it's all over to go in and grab some scraps and pieces, and I'm in agreement, and hire an artist to put something together."
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: What will be preserved in the new Cape Coral Yacht Club building?
