Cape Coral city leaders are investing millions in a new Marriott TownePlace Suites hotel, which will double as a safe place for city employees during hurricanes.
The hotel, to be built near Pine Island Road and Del Prado Boulevard, has sparked debate over its $2.4 million price tag, with some questioning if taxpayers are getting a fair deal.
“The availability of rooms when a storm is coming is near zero that’s just the facts,” said Michael Ilczyszyn, city manager of Cape Coral.
Ron Kenney, who has extensive experience with emergency situations, supports the project.
“They’ll be close to the action in the neighborhood where I live,” said Kenney. “Anything that would help the community in their response time and help people, especially the elderly, would be helpful and benefit them.”
The hotel will allocate its first two floors to city employees in the event of a hurricane. However, not all city leaders agree on the investment.
“I don’t know why we couldn’t partner with other hotels, provide that hotel, come up with that agreement with them, and it would be much cheaper,” said a city official during a discussion.
The cost includes almost $1.5 million from the enhanced value recapture and over $1 million from the site grant and generator reimbursement.
“Money comes and goes. Taxes always go up. So there’ll be money for it — and that’s a small price to pay for safety,” said Kenney. “Anything that helps people survive situations that are devastating, like these hurricanes, is worth it.”
Construction of the new hotel is set to begin next month and finish in 2027. City officials emphasized the importance of having the facility ready before the next big storm.