Cape Coral leaders discuss scope of yacht club rebuild as residents call for faster progress

CAPE CORAL, Fla. —

Cape Coral City Council members are debating the cost and scope of rebuilding the yacht club, while residents express frustration over the pace of progress.

Steve Osborn, a Cape Coral resident, recently visited the yacht club for the first time since Hurricane Ian.

"This is the first time we've been to this beach since Ian," Osborn said.

Osborn recalled the club's previous amenities, saying, "Getting to and from the beach was good. They had a restaurant down the end down there. The whole concept was excellent."

Now, Osborn is eager to see the project move forward.

"I would like to see things move ahead a little more quickly," he said.

City council members are considering spending millions of dollars on features such as a resort-style pool, a community center, a new pier, and a parking garage with hundreds of spaces. However, not all members agree on every phase of the project.

"A yacht is a private luxury hobby. The government building a yacht club is an oxymoron. We should not be building a yacht club. We can do the beach, the marina, the boathouse, and parking," council member Rachel Kaduk said.

The council agreed to move forward with phase two of the project, allocating $38 million for utilities, fuel tanks, and beach amenities to support the marina and waterfront. Other phases of the rebuild are on hold as council members deliberate on additional funding.

The project is estimated to cost $225 million. Each phase would be an approved amenity by the city

Councilman Derrick Donnell expressed his support for moving forward.

"They want to get into the pool. They want to get to the beach. They want to make it happen. They like move it, move it. Let's move. So we're going to move it forward," Donnell said.

Permits from the Army Corps of Engineers are still required to proceed with the pier, which remains a significant concern for the project.

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