Cape Coral residents await completion of yacht club renovations

CAPE CORAL, Fla. —

Crews are preparing to replace the docks and seawalls at the Cape Coral Yacht Club, leaving residents and visitors eager for the project's completion so they can start making new memories.

People along the beach expressed their anticipation for the construction to be finished, allowing them to enjoy the boathouse and other amenities once again.

Christina Dillan said, "So having a fun place to go eat. Make the stay a little bit longer. Be able to stay down here all day. It would be fun."

Julie and Mike Vilt, who visit Cape Coral from Illinois for three months each year, arrived hoping the boathouse would be open, only to be disappointed.

"Oh, yes. Oh, I can't wait for it to come in. Really, we were just heartbroken," Julie Vilt said.

Machines have been working to clear the remnants left in the water by Hurricane Ian, and reconstruction of the seawalls is underway. Beachgoers are eager for the construction noise to end.

"I don't really want to come to the beach and listen to construction, so I'd like it quiet, peaceful, just like that. See, the families and just have fun," Julie Vilt said.

The city is still waiting on the permit to rebuild the yacht club pier. Mike McGuigan with the Kearns Group mentioned meeting with architects about the new building, noting that the kitchen will be twice the size.

David Newell, a Cape Coral resident, said, "It’s a shame, not just here but all of the areas that we used to enjoy that have not gotten around getting fixed yet. It takes time to build a pier, but I mean, it’s been two years, and some of the stuff — it just looks like it’s been cleaned up. When is the real impact of change going to start being noticeable? It's sad."

There is still no date for when construction will start on the boathouse, and the city is reviewing final designs for the new community center.

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