Hurricanes over the last two and a half years have forever changed the look of Punta Gorda. On Feb. 5, City Council will review plans for rebuilding and renovating the former Bayfront Activity Center site and City Hall building damaged by the storms.
A presentation will offer options for the Bayfront site on West Retta Esplanade. The building was severely damaged by Hurricane Ian in September 2022 and sat in disarray until it was taken down.
Built in the 1960s, the waterfront building was demolished several months ago. Only a slab remains where the structure once served as a hub for community activities and was used by organizations, including the YMCA, Boy Scouts of America, Learn to Sail, Punta Gorda Boaters Alliance and Historic Punta Gorda Civic Association. It also was rented out for special events and wedding receptions.
Council recently asked staff to evaluate the Bayfront building slab and provide options for the site. Among the recommendations are a tiki hut, small amphitheater, outdoor tables covered by sail structures for shading and a pergola that could be used as a shelter for dining, a band or a stage. A landscaping border for noise reduction, trees and additional accessible parking spaces also are among the recommendations.
The fate of the City Hall building, 326 W. Marion Ave., will be discussed and input provided by residents will be reviewed. Residents were invited to attend a Jan. 21 workshop where they brainstormed to find solutions and priorities for repairing the building. Some residents toured the building, while others viewed a video showing the current state of City Hall.
Among the public’s recommendations are fixing the 1978 addition, putting a new roof on both the City Hall portion and addition and replacing flooring and ceiling tiles. A mold investigation and remediation also were suggested.
The City Hall rehabilitation project is being funded by the 1% local option sales tax approved by voters.
The former City Council favored building a new City Hall, with the least expensive of three options costing the city nearly $16 million and the most expensive being more than $19 million.
Present City Council members balked at the prices and unanimously chose to solicit estimates Jan. 15 for repairing and rehabbing the structure built in 1927 and its attached 1978 addition.
The Feb. 5 meeting, beginning at 9 a.m., will take place at Burnt Store Presbyterian Church. Elevators at the Military Heritage Museum have been out of order, putting it out of the necessary ADA-compliance for city meetings.
The city’s lease to use the museum’s Gulf Theater for meetings expires June 30. Council is seeking an interim meeting venue until the City Hall building can be reopened.
At the last Council meeting, members discussed using the meeting room at city-owned Laishley Park Marina as an interim meeting place. Past meetings were hosted at the Charlotte Punta Gorda Library and Punta Gorda Isles Civic Association.
