PUNTA GORDA, Fla. — The Punta Gorda Waterfront Hotel will soon look a bit different.
Graffiti, a gutted pool and damage inside and out is drawing eyes... and sighs to the hotel.
The city is stepping in to push the owners to knock down a part of the structure by the end of the summer and get rid of vandalism on the property.
"The hurricane did a number on it," said David Anders, a frequent Punta Gorda visitor.
The hotel, built in 1968, has five stories on one side and two stories on the other. According to the city, the section of the structure with two stories will soon be demolished.
Stacy McLain frequently takes walks across the bridge near the hotel. She said it's always something that catches her attention, calling it an eyesore.
"There's more hurdles they have to get through regarding the remaining five story structure, which in my opinion, looks equally [bad as the portion with two stories] if not in worse condition. But at least there's progress on the two story," McLain said.
Patrick Lyons, who has lived in the city for 15 years, said new graffiti is making conditions even worse.
"When I saw it, I was pretty disappointed. You don't really see that in Punta Gorda. It's definitely disappointing to see someone vandalizing the side of a building," Lyons said.
The city's code compliance department is aware of the graffiti and is requiring the owners to remove it.
"It's saddening that such a beautiful place has been contaminated with graffiti. Hopefully it's not a sign of change that's coming," McLain said.
The City gave a statement regarding the hotel:
"The Punta Gorda Waterfront Hotel (PGWH) suffered severe damage from Hurricane Ian. As the City has shared previously, the owners of the PGWH have resubmitted plans for the five story building to be repaired. At this time no permits are issued as the engineer is still working to provide the required information to be reviewed by the City’s Building Department. The two-story building sustained significant damage requiring the structure to be torn down. The City’s Code Compliance Department issued a letter to the owners of the PGWH on July 6, indicating they have 21 days to have a permit applied for and approved for the demolition of the second-story building. They refused service of the letter on July 14. City staff posted the notice publicly on July 17 requiring the owner to comply within 21 days. The Code Compliance Department is also aware of the graffiti on the structures and are requiring the owners to remove the graffiti. City processes take time and the concern and patience of our residents and visitors is appreciated. We look forward to the future improvements to the site."
