Services director Tommy Scott said the roofing for the recreation center is almost completed.
PHOTO BY NICOLE DROEGER
MURDOCK — The Charlotte County Commission approved, 4-1, a fee schedule Wednesday for renting out the Port Charlotte Beach Park Recreation Center.
The facility was damaged by hurricanes Helene and Milton in 2024. The county is completely rebuilding both buildings with a “substantial” completion date of Dec. 24. The recreation center will not be open for operations until spring 2027.
The center will provide more than 6,000 square feet of indoor rental space, a kitchen and an outdoor deck. Outdoor facilities at the complex include boat ramps, picnic space, sport courts and a heated swimming pool.
The current rental fee is based on square footage used and charges per hour.
The current fee schedule to rent out the beach community center.
PHOTO COURTESY OF CHARLOTTE COUNTY GOVERNMENT
“It is pretty much universally applied throughout all of the facilities,” services director Tommy Scott said. “It really doesn’t have any real guidance towards a structure that might be on the waterfront.”
The proposed fee schedule will be based on room use per day. It will include dynamic pricing that differentiates between seasons, for-profit and nonprofit businesses.
“We’ve already had people who were inquiring about rentals for it,” Scott said.
The outlined proposed fee schedule to rent out the beach community center.
PHOTO COURTESY OF CHARLOTTE COUNTY GOVERNMENT
Chairman Joseph Tiseo said the pavilion space underneath the facility has space for future events.
“We need to somehow fold that into this schedule of uses and who can use it,” Tiseo said.
Scott offered to return with potential changes to the fee schedule.
“As a rentable space, we want to really let demand ride how we’re going to navigate that,” Scott said.
Scott also offered to return with proposed half-day rates.
“I just want you to understand that the rationale specifically went to a larger full day,” Scott said. “It will potentially create a position where we’re only reaping half days instead of potentially getting the full.”
“We need to have a higher number than what you think for half a day because we’re going to lose efficiencies,” Commissioner Bill Truex said.
Commissioner Stephen R. Deutsch wanted to keep the hourly fee schedule rate.
“If I was running a breakfast in the morning, I really wouldn’t want to have to pay for the whole thing all day if I know I’m gonna be out of there in three hours,” Deutsch said.
Commissioners voted to approve the resolution to repeal the formal schedule and adopt the revised schedule outline. Deutsch is the only commissioner that opposed the resolution.
Scott will return with modifications in a future meeting.
For more information about the Port Charlotte Beach Park Recreation Center, visit: charlottecountyfl.gov/departments