Downtown Punta Gorda
Downtown Punta Gorda badly hurt by Hurricane Charley. As with all bad things, good often comes. This was an opportunity to create a new downtown. A group of local citizens came together and formed a non profit called "Team Punta Gorda." Team Punta Gorda raised funds and hired a well known urban planner from Miami to develop a master plan for the City (something that is often missing in Florida development) to guide the redevelopment of Punta Gorda. After many meeting with stakeholder groups, a plan was agreed to and adopted by the Town of Punta Gorda.
Among many things implemented a few stand out. They are: 1)The requirement of mixed use. Mixed Use is a mix of residential, office and retail uses where feasible. The upcoming Loop development is a good example. 2) A unified architectural theme. 3) A public river walk on the Peace River extending from Fisherman's Village on the west side to Laishley Marina on the East. 4) Zoning for Big Box stores near I-75 to keep traffic out of the city. 5) Establishment of a new mooring field in the Peace River for visiting boaters.
The Wyvern is a sixty plus room boutique hotel currently under construction in downtown Punta Gorda. There are other Wyvern Hotels, mostly in England. It is located near Hwy 41 facing the new Laishley Marina
The Charlotte Events Center is a rebuild of the old center. The land was gifted to the town and can only be used for an events center. The new center is larger and better than the old and will be a community resource for Punta Gorda and Charlotte County in general.
The Sunloft Center is nearing completion in early 2008 and is located on the site of an old glass office building which was destroyed by Hurricane Charley. It is a mixed use with restaurants, sidewalk dining and retail on the ground floor, office occupancy on the second floor and penthouse condominiums on the top floor.
The Loop is going to begin moving dirt in December of 08 after annexation into the City of Punta Gorda is complete. As of early 2008 The Loop is reported to be 70% leased. The Loop consists of a 200 acre mixed-use development including 1.2 million SF of retail, 500 residences, offices and a hotel. This is a big deal!!! It will bring traffic to Punta Gorda and help commercial property in the entire region.
Laishley Marina is partially finished. The docks are done (floating) and the main building is complete. Restaurants and retail will be added to this location.
Sky Bus has begun flights into Punta Gorda. Although they refer to it as Ft. Myers in their schedule, the flights land in Punta Gorda. Sky Bus flies full size commercial jets built by Air Bus.
Courthouse Renovation The old County Courthouse is undergoing a renovation which entails razing the addition that was done in the past and returning it to its previous glory. Florida is a very new state and when it comes to landmarks, they are few and far in-between. Punta Gorda has wisely made the decision to honor it's past which goes back to the early 1800's. Our historic district is zoned so that the look of the district is preserved. The historic downtown is one of the things visitors like the best.
The City Market Place Hotel and development project was recently sold to a Naples hotel developer and is rumored to become a Hilton. Construction schedule is unknown at this time. No pictures other than the flash player at the link above are available. Negotiations concerning height are ongoing as of early 2008. Click on the link for a Flash Player presentation of one concept put forward.
Five Star Realty is in the process of leasing for their retail center to be built around the existing Five Star Realty office building which appears on the image just above "Olympia Avenue." For orientation, Fisherman's Village is above "W. Marion Ave."
