Punta Gorda chooses impact windows for Historic City Hall

Punta Gorda City Council and the city’s Historic Preservation Advisory Board reached unanimous agreement Oct. 27 to replace the original windows in Historic City Hall with impact-resistant windows, citing energy efficiency and better protection for the building’s interior.

Interior renovations and repairs will take longer as the city addresses issues including mold and asbestos in the 1927 structure, which was built under different construction standards.

Hurricane Ian devastated Historic City Hall and its 1978 addition at 326 W. Marion Ave. in 2022. The roof failed, allowing water to seep inside, and subsequent storms and heavy rainfall caused further damage.

Both buildings were closed while the city considered how to proceed. The previous City Council favored rebuilding the addition and adding floors at an estimated cost of $16 million. However, three new council members unseated incumbents in two elections, and Council opted to repair the complex rather than rebuild it.

The city replaced the roof over the entire complex for $186,433 and awarded Fort Myers-based Parker Mudgett Smith Architects a $359,000 contract for preservation, evaluation and design work on Historic City Hall.

The council chambers in the 1978 addition have already been renovated. Avant Construction completed $308,862 in work, including structural repairs and updated audiovisual equipment, within the building’s existing footprint.

City Council held its first meeting in the renovated chambers Aug. 26 after meeting at various locations around the city following the complex’s closure in 2022.

At the Oct. 27 joint meeting, council members and the Historic Preservation Advisory Board directed Jeff Mudgett, president of Parker Mudgett Smith Architects, to proceed with the design phase. They also asked the city’s Public Works Department to prepare a bid package for contractors.

The decision to install impact windows followed a presentation by city Planning Director Boyd Lawrence outlining several options.

Restoring the original windows would cost $151,500. Adding Bahama shutters would cost another $109,926, bringing the total to $261,426. Installing impact windows was estimated at $311,214, a difference of about $50,000.

Mudgett said the cost of impact windows was relatively close to that of restoring the original windows and adding shutters. He also cited potential energy savings.

“From maintenance and staffing points of view, impact windows can’t be beat,” Mudgett said.

Resident Terry Ziegler, the only member of the public to speak on the issue, said he installed impact windows in his historic 1892 home and noticed lower indoor temperatures, reduced electric bills and less outside noise. The windows also protect against winds of up to 140 mph, he said.

“It’s the only way to go,” Ziegler said.

In response to a question from council member Melissa Lockhart, Mudgett said impact windows also would reduce the city’s insurance costs.

Historic Preservation Advisory Board member David Perry, who serves on the Punta Gorda Historical Society and works in property management, supported spending the additional money.

“If you don’t have a building to protect because the windows got blown out, we’re missing the point,” Perry said.

The additional $50,000 is worthwhile, he said, to protect the building’s interior “for the longest period of time.”

The next step is selecting an interior design for Historic City Hall, Mudgett said. His preliminary plans call for preserving historic walls while potentially reconfiguring the interior.

One concept includes an open meeting room and an overflow area for visitors who cannot be accommodated in the council chambers in the adjacent addition, which seats about 75 members of the public.

Funding for the preservation project includes revenue from the city’s share of Charlotte County’s 1% local-option sales tax.