PORT CHARLOTTE — It was 1997 when the Charlotte County Commission put the wheels in motion to do a “good thing” — buy up land to, among other goals, create a downtown.
But their idea became an expensive blunder — made worse by an economic recession — that was criticized for years.
“I look back in hindsight and the original concept was good, but the implementation left something to be desired,” said Adam Cummings, one of five commissioners who approved the plan…