PUNTA GORDA, Fla. — On Wednesday, parts of Punta Gorda’s downtown Harborwalk were closed as structural demolition of the Waterfront Hotel & Suites began.
Watch as demolition crews start tearing down the Waterfront Hotel & Suites 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. Demolition of the building has faced several delays - one caused by the discovery of asbestos in the building.
Internal demolition of the building and asbestos abatement started in early July.
Since it closed, the building has deteriorated and its demolition has been long awaited by Punta Gorda residents who use the Harborwalk often.
“It's been an eyesore for a while,” said Joe Gallow, as he walked his dog. “It's probably one of the oldest hotels around here in Punta Gorda and I look forward to it coming down.”
The City of Punta Gorda said the section of the Harborwalk that is closed is expected to reopen on Friday.
The demolition crew told Fox 4 that the structural demolition would take them one or two days, but it could take as long as a month to haul the debris from the structure away from the site.
“I was glad to hear it was coming down because I walk past here every morning for 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.
Derek Rooney, an attorney representing the owner of the hotel, Amer Asmar, told the city’s Code Enforcement Board that there are site plans being designed for the construction of a new hotel on the property during a July 3 meeting. Fox 4 has requested more information from Rooney about the future plans for the property but have not received a response.
