Cape Coral council approves marine phase of Yacht Club project, including seawall and boat ramp

Cape Coral’s City Council voted 7–0 on Nov. 5 to approve Resolution 329‑25, authorizing the first guaranteed maximum price (GMP) marine phase of the Yacht Club project, which staff said covers demolition of damaged docks, construction of approximately 3,000 linear feet of seawall, a new boat ramp and related flushing culverts and dredging.

The city’s facility projects manager, John Osterstock, said the work covered by the GMP will “include demolishing the existing docks that are down there, the damaged docks,” and installing the seawall and boat ramp. He told council some of the phase will be grant funded and that staff will present a related budget amendment to the 2026 fiscal year budget.

Council members pressed staff on the overall program cost after earlier public discussion and media reporting that placed the wider redevelopment at many multiples of the initial estimates. “We’re gonna break it down and then lay it all out,” the city manager said during the meeting, directing staff to produce a line‑by‑line accounting of which project components drive the total cost.

Council debate focused on sequencing and what work is required first. Several council members and staff described the marine elements — seawall replacement and demolition of unsafe dock structures — as prerequisites for any upland construction, including utilities and building footings. One council member described the marine work as a “condition precedent” for any future upland improvements.

The resolution was approved without recorded dissent. The council’s vote authorizes staff to proceed with the marine GMP described in the staff report and to execute the related budget amendment to fund the contract phase identified in the resolution.

Council members and staff said they will return with a more detailed breakdown of project costs by component, and with opportunities for possible public‑private partnership proposals for upland elements so that taxpayer burden can be minimized.

The vote followed a period of public comment during which multiple residents criticized the scale and cost of the overall project and urged alternatives such as smaller community facilities or reusing existing structures. Council directed staff to make project documents and the planned cost breakdown available on the city website.