Cape Coral Yacht Club pier rebuild delayed amid federal permit delays

CAPE CORAL, Fla. —

As construction begins on the Naples Pier and Fort Myers Beach plans to rebuild their pier this year, Cape Coral residents are still waiting for the Yacht Club Fishing Pier to reopen due to federal permit delays.

"It's disgusting. This whole place is just ruins. What are they doing to repair it? I mean, Naples got their pier getting rebuilt," said Nick Flynn, a seasonal resident.

Cape Coral city leaders say the delay is not about funding or designs but federal permits. After Hurricane Ian, engineers and the city council determined the damaged pier needed full replacement, triggering a lengthy review by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that was delayed by the government shutdown.

"The marine amenities need to happen ASAP, because we do have that permitted. With the exception, of course, at the pier. But at least we need to get that going," said council member Jennifer Nelson-Lastra.

Residents are growing impatient, with Flynn questioning, "Why can't they expedite it? It's taking too long. There should be a high priority. People pay a ton of money in taxes around here. You look at this as the biggest eyesore in Florida."

Others, like Nicole Luna from Cape Coral, believe patience is necessary. "It's going to happen. People just need to wait," she said. "We can't make it move any faster than they're already trying."

The city says the designs for the pier and the estimated $197 million yacht club are expected to be completed next month, and once permits are approved, construction could still take more than a year.

In the meantime, the city plans to contract temporary food and drink truck vendors by the future Boathouse Tiki Bar & Grill site.

"It's very important for this to get down as soon as possible," Luna said. "I can't wait till it does because it was just the best spot to go right here."

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