Cape Coral council weighs what to fund in the $164M yacht club project

CAPE CORAL, Fla. (WINK) — Cape Coral City Council is making big decisions on the future of the Cape Coral Yacht Club after concerns about how much it could cost to rebuild it have been raised.

The yacht club has sat destroyed since Hurricane Ian hit more than three and a half years ago. A fence is up, and the council is making big decisions for what is now estimated to be a $164 million project.

Many memories have been made at the Cape Coral Yacht Club over the years. Jennifer said she and her kids would come almost every day, but now she says it’s shocking to see it still destroyed years later.

"It was shocking to be honest when I first saw it," said Jennifer, a Cape Coral visitor.

Council Member Derrick Donnell said the council's first priority is to get the infrastructure in place for a developer to come in and potentially finish the job. "As far as what we're responsible for, look at those first six phases, is where we kind of have consensus, and we'll figure it out from there," Donnell said.

Click here for a breakdown of the total cost.

Council Member Keith Long pointed out that the $164 million doesn't include the new pier's price tag.

People are split on the project.

"I think it's good if they bring back the pickleball and the swimming pool, because the kids really enjoyed that," Jennifer said.

John Miehle, a Cape Coral citizen, questioned the approach. "Why are we fronting, taxpayers, the demolition and stuff and some of the stuff… We aren’t developers,” Miehle said.

If the council moves forward with just the infrastructure, fuel tanks, docks, bathrooms, and harbor master and maintenance building, that cost is estimated at $63 million. WINK News will continue to keep you up to date on their decision.