City requests $1.2M more for Cape Coral Yacht Club, still no start date for construction

UP IN JUST A FEW MOMENTS. DON'T GO ANYWHERE. >> IT SOUNDS GOOD, A LANDMARK IN CAPE CORAL WILL NEVER BE THE SAME AFTER HURRICANE IAN, BUT THAT CHANGE CAN HAPPEN TOMORROW AS CITY COUNCIL IS SET TO APPROVE THE REBUILDING OF THE CAPE CORAL YACHT TURNS OUT IT COULD COST YOU EVEN MORE. I REMEMBER TOURING THE YACHT CLUB RIGHT BEFORE THE DEMOLISHED SHOWING US ALL THE CHANGES. ABC SEVEN'S GINA TOMLINSON REVEALS THE CHANGE THAT COMES WITH NOW A HUGE PRICE TAG. >> BEHIND ME IS WHERE THE CAPE CORAL YACHT CLUB ONCE STOOD A SPACE RESIDENTS SAY HAS SAT EMPTY FOR TOO LONG. CITY COUNCIL IS SET TO APPROVE ANOTHER 1.2 MILLION DOLLARS TOMORROW FOR REBUILDING THE YACHT CLUB. THE QUESTION ON MANY MINDS IS JUST HOW SOON CAN THE PROJECT MOVE FORWARD? WE'RE WATCHING PARKS. >> BEING BUILT EVERYWHERE. AND THIS IS OUR ICONIC PARK. THIS IS CAPE CORAL, DAVID REBECCA'S CALLED CAPE CORAL HOME FOR 27 YEARS. LIKE MANY WHO LIVE HERE, THE YACHT CLUB HOLDS SPECIAL MEMORIES OVER THE PARK. I REMEMBER THE BUILDING THAT WAS OVER THERE AND THE POOL FROM THE PARK TO THE PIER NOW LEFT IN SHAMBLES. REMEMBER BEFORE THEY HAD BOTH HOUSES JUST A HOT DOG. STAND UP THERE WAS A BEAUTIFUL PLACE UNTIL IAN HIT TOMORROW CITY COUNCIL WILL DECIDE WHETHER TO APPROVE ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR THE PRECONSTRUCTION COSTS. TO 1.5 MILLION, THE NEW PLANS FOR THE CLUB PAINT A BEAUTIFUL PICTURE OF THE FUTURE. THE KEY WEST INSPIRED COMMUNITY CENTER TO PEERS, POOLS AND RESORT-STYLE AMENITIES. BUT IT'S STILL NOT CLEAR IF WORKERS ARE ANY CLOSER TO BREAKING GROUND. THE MAIN QUESTION IS THISWHY IS IT TAKING? >> SO LONG TO GET THE PLANS APPROVED? YES, THEY REALLY WORKING ON WHEN I ASKED THE CITY, IF THEY COULD GIVE ME A TIMELINE FOR THE IMPROVEMENTS, THEY TOLD ME DESIGN PLANS WON'T BE FINISHED UNTIL NOVEMBER. THEY'RE ALSO STILL WAITING ON FINAL PERMITS FROM STATE AND FEDERAL AGENCIES WITH NO SET TIMEFRAME FOR APPROVAL RACES. PERMITTEE. AND I CAN UNDERSTAND THAT FOR THE MARINE PORTION. >> BUT FOR THE REST OF THE PARK, I DON'T SEE WHY THEY CAN START BUILDING SOME OF THAT RIGHT NOW. BUT WITH DESIGN DELAYS AND PERMIT HOLDUPS RESIDENTS WORRY THE FUTURE WILL BE

Cape Coral residents want to know why the iconic Yacht Club is taking so long to rebuild, and now city leaders say they need more money for the project.It’s been over two years since Hurricane Ian devastated the landmark, leaving its buildings destroyed and the pier in ruins.Tomorrow, Cape Coral City Council is set to vote on a resolution to approve $1,202,049.92 in additional preconstruction costs for the Yacht Club improvement project. If approved, this will bring the total preconstruction cost to $1,533,336.80.The city’s vision for the Yacht Club is ambitious, featuring a Key West-inspired community center, two piers, pools, and resort-style amenities. Despite these plans, it's still unclear when construction will begin. They also confirmed they are waiting on final permits from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), with no set timeline for approval.“They say it’s permitting. I can understand that for the marine portion, but for the rest of the park? I don’t see why they can’t start building some of it right now,” said David Rebecca, who has lived in Cape Coral for 27 years. "We're watching parks being built everywhere, and this is our iconic park. This is Cape Coral."Other residents, like Charis Garcia, also feel the Yacht Club should be the city's top priority. “I remember a lot of people always coming here, loving the beach and hanging around. They really need to get working on it,” Garcia said.The city has yet to provide clear answers about the overall cost of the project or give a more specific breakdown of pre-construction costs. Additionally, they did not respond to questions about why work can't start any earlier or give reasoning for why the permits are taking so long to get approved.According to an ABC7 report published back in February of 2022, the city manager estimated the project to cost around $37 million and said officials had already started the permitting process.The council will meet at 5 p.m. tomorrow at city hall.

CAPE CORAL, Fla. —

Cape Coral residents want to know why the iconic Yacht Club is taking so long to rebuild, and now city leaders say they need more money for the project.

It’s been over two years since Hurricane Ian devastated the landmark, leaving its buildings destroyed and the pier in ruins.

Tomorrow, Cape Coral City Council is set to vote on a resolution to approve $1,202,049.92 in additional preconstruction costs for the Yacht Club improvement project. If approved, this will bring the total preconstruction cost to $1,533,336.80.

The city’s vision for the Yacht Club is ambitious, featuring a Key West-inspired community center, two piers, pools, and resort-style amenities. Despite these plans, it's still unclear when construction will begin.

They also confirmed they are waiting on final permits from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), with no set timeline for approval.

“They say it’s permitting. I can understand that for the marine portion, but for the rest of the park? I don’t see why they can’t start building some of it right now,” said David Rebecca, who has lived in Cape Coral for 27 years. "We're watching parks being built everywhere, and this is our iconic park. This is Cape Coral."

Other residents, like Charis Garcia, also feel the Yacht Club should be the city's top priority.

“I remember a lot of people always coming here, loving the beach and hanging around. They really need to get working on it,” Garcia said.

The city has yet to provide clear answers about the overall cost of the project or give a more specific breakdown of pre-construction costs. Additionally, they did not respond to questions about why work can't start any earlier or give reasoning for why the permits are taking so long to get approved.

According to an ABC7 report published back in February of 2022, the city manager estimated the project to cost around $37 million and said officials had already started the permitting process.

The council will meet at 5 p.m. tomorrow at city hall.

City requests $1.2M more for Cape Coral Yacht Club, still no start date for construction

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