PUNTA GORDA, Fla. – Parts of the Harborwalk in downtown Punta Gorda were closed Wednesday as demolition of the Waterfront Hotel & Suites began.
Watch demolition crews begin demolishing the Waterfront Hotel & Suites in Punta Gorda:
No longer an eyesore: Demolition work begins on the Waterfront Hotel in Punta Gorda
No longer an eyesore: Demolition work begins on the Waterfront Hotel in Punta Gorda
The hotel, located at 300 W Retta Esplanade on the city’s Harborwalk, has been closed since it was damaged by Hurricane Ian in 2022. The building’s demolition has been delayed several times – one of which was the discovery of asbestos in the building.
At the beginning of July, the internal demolition of the building and the asbestos remediation began.
Since its closure, the building has fallen into disrepair and its demolition has long been awaited by Punta Gorda residents who frequently use the Harborwalk.
“It’s been an eyesore for some time,” said Joe Gallow, walking his dog. “It’s probably one of the oldest hotels here in Punta Gorda and I’m looking forward to seeing it torn down.”
The city of Punta Gorda said the closed section of Harborwalk is expected to reopen on Friday.
Alex Orenczuk.
The demolition team told Fox 4 that it would take one to two days to demolish the building, but it could take up to a month to remove the building debris from the site.
“I was glad when I heard it was being demolished because I walk past here every morning on my way to my morning exercise and it would be much nicer to see something like the Sunseeker or something more worthy of this piece of land,” said Michael Sullivan.
Alex Orenczuk.
Derek Rooney, an attorney representing hotel owner Amer Asmar, told the city’s Code Enforcement Board during a July 3 meeting that plans were being drawn up to build a new hotel on the property. Fox 4 has requested more information from Rooney about future plans for the property but has not received a response.
