Cape Coral's iguana-infested abandoned bank set for demolition

CAPE CORAL, Fla. —

An abandoned bank in Cape Coral, plagued by iguanas since May of last year, is set to be demolished, with preparations already underway by HONC Destruction.

The building, located near the intersection of Cape Coral Parkway and Del Prado Boulevard, has been an eyesore and a source of nuisance for the community.

HONC Destruction has begun preparations by removing light bulbs and fire extinguishers from the building, and it received the demolition permit Wednesday, with plans to have more crews on-site by Friday.

"I'm glad to see it go," said Karen West, a Cape Coral resident who lives nearby. "It is such an eyesore for the city."

The iguanas living in the building spread to nearby homes.

"It's just become dilapidated, iguana-infested," West said.

The parking lot of the abandoned bank is currently used as overflow parking for Slipaway Food Truck Park and Marina. Larry Bechtel, operations manager for HONC Destruction, said they will not touch the asphalt or any of the curbs. He mentioned that there are discussions about extending the canal to the area, although nothing is confirmed.

Mark Buemi, another Cape Coral resident, shared his thoughts on the future of the site.

"I think that really would be best suited to have retail, entertainment," he said.

Meanwhile, West hopes for a simpler development.

"I wish it would be a park," she said. "That would be a nice entrance to Cape Coral, but we'll see what happens."

HONC Destruction anticipates that the demolition work will take about two months, although it expects to complete it sooner.

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