Sunseeker plans major expansion in Charlotte County

Sunseeker Resort Florida Gulf Coast is planning a major expansion that would significantly increase its meeting and event space, a move local officials say could boost tourism and tax revenues in Charlotte County. 

County management consultant Whit Buchanan shared details of the project during a March 17 presentation outlining redevelopment efforts and ongoing projects in key areas of the county. 

The expansion will add 100,000 square feet of meeting and event space to the waterfront resort, more than doubling its current 60,000 square feet of conference facilities. The addition will be connected to the main building by an enclosed skybridge. 

Construction is expected to begin in April or May, with completion targeted for late 2027. 

Commission Chair Joe Tiseo said the expansion could have a positive impact on the county’s tourism economy. “Their occupancy rate is going to go up, I think, significantly, which will increase the bed tax,” Tiseo said. 

Charlotte County’s Tourist Development Tax, commonly known as the bed tax, is a 5% levy on short-term rentals of six months or less, including hotel stays. 

The resort sits within the Charlotte Harbor Community Redevelopment Agency area, where Buchanan said the Charlotte Harbor and Riverwalk district accounts for 48% of the CRA’s total value. 

The site has been a focal point for redevelopment efforts for years. Early plans for the area envisioned a public-private partnership centered around a Riverwalk destination. 

Las Vegas-based Allegiant Travel Co., parent of Allegiant Air, purchased the land and began construction of the resort in 2019. The project faced multiple delays and setbacks, including work stoppages during the COVID-19 pandemic and damage from Hurricane Ian, which toppled construction cranes and caused about $35 million in damage. Additional delays were caused by small fires during construction. 

After more than four years, the resort opened in December 2023 at a reported cost of $695 million. 

Despite the scale of the project, occupancy rates fell short of expectations under Allegiant’s ownership. The company later sold the resort and related assets, including a golf course, to Blackstone Group for $200 million. The property was subsequently rebranded under the Curio Collection by Hilton. 

Buchanan said the resort’s three parcels of land have a combined assessed value exceeding $256 million. The main resort building is valued at about $246.9 million, the parking lot at about $8.6 million and a vacant parcel along U.S. 41 at about $620,956, based on Charlotte County Property Appraiser data. 

Surrounding areas also are undergoing improvements. Projects are underway at Bayshore Live Oak Park and at Melbourne Street, where access improvements are planned at Live Oak Point. 

A previously announced Whiskey Joe’s Bar & Grill planned for the Melbourne Street site has stalled. Buchanan said the project’s permit has been permanently paused by the applicant, and its future remains uncertain. 

The restaurant, which would have been the chain’s fifth Florida location, was announced in early 2024 but never advanced to completion. Storm surge from hurricanes Helene and Milton later damaged the site, and the company shifted focus to other locations impacted by severe weather. 

The company also owns an adjacent 0.75-acre parcel that currently has no active development permits. 

Tiseo said the county has worked with the Florida Department of Transportation to secure access along U.S. 41 and had planned for additional access from Melbourne Street as part of the restaurant project. “We have an easement that Whiskey Joe’s was supposed to provide so we have safer access off of Melbourne,” Tiseo said. 

He asked whether a new plan exists to connect Melbourne Street to Live Oak Point Park, but Buchanan said he was not aware of any current proposal. Both agreed to discuss the issue further. 

Meanwhile, improvements continue at Bayshore Live Oak Park along Bayshore Road, where upgrades and repairs have been completed following damage from the 2024 hurricane season. 

The Sunseeker expansion is expected to further anchor redevelopment efforts in the Charlotte Harbor area as the county continues to invest in tourism and waterfront infrastructure.