Artists rendition of completed Yacht Club rebuild.
The city of Cape Coral will look at partnering with private enterprise on its plans to rebuild the Yacht Club park.
A request for information is being crafted for the multi-million dollar project. The RFI will be released by the end of the month to see if there are potential partners.
City Manager Michael Ilczyszyn said the RFI is a “fishing expedition” to see if there is any interest for a private capital business to participate in the project to include new resort-style amenities at the riverfront acreage on Driftwood Parkway.
“We don’t know what we are going to get,” he said. “What would it take from the private sector to help alleviate some of the capital to construct it. It’s open. You’re dragging a net and don’t know what you are pulling in.”
Ilczyszyn said there are sidebar discussions, a reason for the RFI, but he has an obligation to move forward.
“The RFI is going to give Council and the community an opportunity to look at alternative delivery methods that we are not contemplating right now. We are designing it, bid it and award it,” he said.
Ilczyszyn said his role, as well as his staff’s, is to carry forward the previous City Council’s action, which was authorized by resolution to make sure the project is driven to completion. Contracts have been issued for design with what has been gathered through the master plan, and community input sessions.
“Me and my staff are carrying forward completing the design for the concept that was reviewed in the community,” Ilczyszyn said.
Mayor John Gunter said with almost $6 million tied in the Yacht Club project, they wanted to see if there are any developers that want to partner with the city to take some of the burden off the taxpayer to pay for the total rebuild in the wake of Hurricane Ian.
“This is just the baseline. Then we will come back and evaluate what was brought back and see if there were any valuable proposals,” Gunter said, adding they could switch course and find ways to lower the cost of the project now estimated to cost $197 million.
An update on the project was also presented during the workshop.
Facility Projects Manager Jon Osterstock said parks maintenance continues at the Yacht Club for regular maintenance and care of the beach, and portable restroom trailers.
Staff, he said, is working with procurement to develop a request for proposals to secure qualified food truck vendors to provide on-site food service.
The design of the Yacht Club has reached 100% completion for the harbormaster structures, parking garage, maintenance building, resort-style pool, lifeguard building, and beach restroom plans. The completion of the community center plan is due Friday.
The next step for the Yacht Club, pending Council approval, is constructing the second portion of the marine aspect – permanent docks, fuel tanks, and the harbormaster building.
The first phase for the Yacht Club Marine had a limited notice to proceed on Dec. 18, which allowed the contractor to get in line to secure their spot for fabrication for steel sheet piles, Osterstock said. The direct purchase order for the steel sheet piles was issued on Jan. 7.
“The official notice to proceed will be issued in late January,” he said.
The fishing pier at the Yacht Club is still a work in progress. Osterstock said. The city applied for the permit back on May 21, 2025, and the city is asking for updates from the Army Corps of Engineers every two weeks trying to nudge the process along which, to date, has been unsuccessful.
The design for the fishing pier is 100% complete.
To reach MEGHAN BRADBURY, please email news@breezenewspapers.com