Cape Coral’s Yacht Club rebuild is moving into its most construction-heavy stage yet. The city approved a $22.7 million contract for seawall work, boat ramp construction and other marine improvements during a city council meeting Nov. 5.
The council accepted a contract amendment with Wright Construction Inc., setting a guaranteed maximum price of $22.7 million.
It’s the first major construction phase for the long-planned rebuild, a project city leaders say is necessary after Hurricane Ian left structures beyond repair, and that critics argue has drifted away from the community-focused park many residents remember.
What does the yacht club work include?
According to city documents and staff presentations, the marine work includes:
- Demolition of existing marine structures and facilities
- Construction of a new seawall
- A new multi-lane boat ramp
- Installation of box culverts to improve marina water flow
- Dredging the harbor basin to ensure proper water depth
Wright Construction will have 605 days to complete the work once the city issues the Notice to Proceed, which will officially start the roughly two-year shoreline construction timeline. Part of this phase will be paid for with a Florida Department of Environmental Protection grant. The rest will come from project-related debt…