Cape Coral receives final permit for Yacht Club Community Park
The new Yacht Club Park will include a much-larger two-story community center, marina, piers, resort styles pool, expanded beach, restaurant, four-story parking garage and more, replacing the historic mid-century design with a tropical island, resort-style vibe.
Artist’s rendition of the concept plan now moving forward. PROVIDED BY THE CITY OF CAPE CORAL
Rendition of the planned renovation of the Cape Coral Yacht Club
The Cape Coral Yacht & Racquet Club was dedicated on June 10, 1962.
Postcard featuring the pool of the then-new Cape Coral Yacht & Racquet Club constructed by the Cape’s founding developers and dedicated on June 10, 1962.. FILE
The Cape Coral Yacht & Racquet Club, constructed by the Cape’s founding developers, was dedicated on June 10, 1962. The state-recognized historic structure was demolished as part of the city's efforts to rebuild the park in the wake of Hurricane Ian. PROVIDED
The new Yacht Club Park will include a much-larger two-story community center, marina, piers, resort styles pool, expanded beach, restaurant, four-story parking garage and more, replacing the historic mid-century design with a tropical island, resort-style vibe.
Artist’s rendition of the concept plan now moving forward. PROVIDED BY THE CITY OF CAPE CORAL
Rendition of the planned renovation of the Cape Coral Yacht Club
The Cape Coral Yacht & Racquet Club was dedicated on June 10, 1962.
Postcard featuring the pool of the then-new Cape Coral Yacht & Racquet Club constructed by the Cape’s founding developers and dedicated on June 10, 1962.. FILE
The Cape Coral Yacht & Racquet Club, constructed by the Cape’s founding developers, was dedicated on June 10, 1962. The state-recognized historic structure was demolished as part of the city's efforts to rebuild the park in the wake of Hurricane Ian. PROVIDED
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The city of Cape Coral has received the final permit required to begin renovations at the Yacht Club Community Park.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers issued its permit Thursday, marking what the city says is a major milestone to get the riverfront park on Driftwood Parkway rebuilt in the wake of Hurricane Ian.
“This permit follows the issuance of the Environmental Resource Permit by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) on February 13, 2025. Together, these approvals clear the way for construction to begin on the park’s long-awaited transformation,” city officials said in a release issued late Thursday afternoon.
City Manager Michael Ilczyszyn summed up the impact of the permit approval in an email to members of the Cape Coral City Council sent shortly before 5 p.m.
“After four years we have finally received the long awaited ACOE Permit for the Yacht Club marine work,” Ilczyszyn wrote. “The permit expires in 2030. We intend to have a bid out for the marine work this month for 45 days with an award before City Council in early August -- as long as there are no bid protests. A press release will be going out later this evening. This is a great day for our community. We can finally begin the process of bringing the Yacht Club back to its glory! Have a great day.”
With the final permit now secured, the construction manager at risk will advertise bids for the marine improvement portion of the project, officials said.
The ACOE permit covers essential construction activities, including:
• Dock replacement: Remove existing docks and construct new docking facilities for the new marina with 204 slips, including a fuel dock and wastewater pump-out slip. The new docks will feature fixed wooden and floating structures supported by pilings.
• Seawall and dredging: Replace approximately 3,000 linear feet of seawall near the existing walls and conduct maintenance dredging of 43,362 square feet to improve water depth and navigation.
• Boat ramp relocation: Remove the boat ramp from the Caloosahatchee River and relocate it to the Godman Yacht Basin.
Specifically, the permit authorizes the city to perform work in navigable federal waters and allows for the discharge of dredged or fill material for the renovation and expansion of the Cape Coral Yacht Club, including the following activities:
a. removal of all of the existing docks along the facility's shoreline in the basin and adjacent canals;
b. construction of new docking facilities providing 158 slips (plus 46 slips/trailer parking spaces in the uplands for a total of 204 slips), consisting of 25,858 square feet of overwater structure (15,347 square feet of fixed wooden structure, and 10,511 square feet of floating structure), including a fuel dock and wastewater pumpout slip, with 621 wooden pilings (wrapped with PVC from one foot above Mean High Water (MHW) to one foot below the substrate) and 70 concrete pilings, all installed by jetting;
c. construction of 218 linear feet of seawall along the river within 18" of the existing seawall and 2782 linear feet of seawall within the basin and canals within 26" of the existing seawall (due to a seawall cap with a skirt on the face of the new wall extending 8" waterward from the top of the wall to the Mean Low Water elevation), with the existing wall remaining in place behind the new wall;
d. maintenance dredging of 43,362 square feet (1212 cubic yards) of material to a depth of -4' Mean Low Water within the marina basin and adjacent canals, done mechanically from uplands or a barge, with the spoil temporarily staged in the upland parking lot on the north side of the project site and then either used as beach fill onsite if site if appropriate or hauled to an upland disposal site if not appropriate as beach fill;
e. removal of the existing boat ramp, including the docks, and filling in of the ramp and access channel, including filling approximately 6060 square feet (449 cubic yards) of material below MHW and approximately 2284 square feet (114 cubic yards) of material along MHW and above to expand the beach area, using dredged material as described
above if appropriate;
f. refurbishing the existing breakwater/groin structure on the west side of the current boat ramp area with a 16" wide, 26' long steel panel with a concrete cap and 6' of riprap along the northwest side;
g. constructing a new 83' by 79', two-lane boat ramp in the marina basin;
h. installing two 8' diameter flushing culverts from the canal to the north to the marina basin, with grating at both ends to prevent access by manatees, sawfish, or other
marine species;
i. installing stormwater outfalls in the new/replaced seawall, with grating for those outfalls that are potentially accessible to manatees, sawfish, or other marine species
j. the completed repairs to the marina fuel dock, which involved the replacement of deck boards with no in-water work; and
k. the completed placement of 464 square feet of large rocks along the shoreline between the former fishing pier and restaurant, above the Mean High Water line and
below the High Tide Line
The work is to be completed by March 20, 2030 in accordance with the 21 pages of drawings and eight attachments affixed to the permit.
The permit requires the city to allow representatives from the ACOE to inspect the authorized activity “at any time deemed necessary to ensure that it is being or has been accomplished in accordance with the terms and conditions” of the permit and must Immediately notify the agency is there is any discovery of any previously unknown historic or archeological remains.
The city has worked with USACE and FDEP since 2021 on extensive environmental and regulatory reviews, including water quality, submerged land leases, and slip transfers, the city release states.
“After Hurricane Ian in September 2022, additional coordination with state and federal agencies ensured compliance with updated requirements,” city officials said.
Design plans for the Yacht Club Community Park renovation are underway, with their completion anticipated by November.
The city posts updates on the project on its Yacht Club Community Park webpage, https://www.capecoral.gov/department/parks_and_recreationhome/yacht_club_community_center/index.php