The Army Corps of Engineers have approved the project! That’s a big hurdle. Time lines have been set for all aspects of the project as well. At this moment the completion date is projected to be October/November 2019. The construction start date is June/July 2019 so things are moving right along.
The estimated cost is 2.5 million which will be paid for through a special assessment to be appropriated through 2,622 home owners that apparently will benefit from this new channel. The purpose of this channel is to connect the Bird Section of Punta Gorda Isles to Alligator Creek and shorten the boat ride time to open water significantly. See the map below for where the channel will be cut.
Previously, in my research there was mention of environmental factions that had the project under review and required approval but I have not heard any mention of issues with this. The city has printed time lines for every step so it appears there are no expected hurdles. The engineering firm Hans Wilson started on this back in 2015 and was recently contracted for the final engineering phase.
With all of this said, it looks to be almost a certainty that this project will go through! Boaters will definitely be happier with shorter boat ride times out to the harbor!
If you are a property owner in Punta Gorda Isles and particularly in the Bird Section, I have done a statistical analysis of sales there compared to the fastest section out to open waters. You can email me and I will share with you my findings on current sales information. You will likely be surprised. The City of Punta Gorda I expect in time will see fit to increase taxes in the Bird Section because the property should be worth more once the project is complete. Time will tell how much more, if any property values will increase. At the moment watefront lot sales in the Bird Section are experiencing no signifiant increase in sales price and sales have remained flat for over 2 years.
