Storm-Ravaged Punta Gorda Has Never Been Better
By KAREN HAYMON LONG The Tampa Tribune
Published: Jul 1, 2007
PUNTA GORDA - Don't pity this little town by the sea. Less than three years after Hurricane Charley roared over Charlotte County, causing $3.2 billion in damage, the community hardest hit is experiencing a renaissance.
Tourism to the area, known for spectacular fishing, kayaking and sailing - Sail Magazine ranked it in the nation's top 10 in 2004 - fell off after Charley. But it's growing back and should be better than ever when planned hotels open, says Rebecca Allen, public relations manager for Charlotte Harbor & the Gulf Islands.
Much is already happening.
The new Laishley Park Municipal Marina opened to great fanfare in April. Next door, a lot has been cleared for a boutique hotel. And a swanky residential-office-retail complex, Sunloft Center, is rising in place of a professional center Charley imploded in the downtown historic district.
Charley hit on Friday the 13th in August 2004 as a category 4 hurricane, destroying 11,000 homes in the county, along with its memorial auditorium, a third of its 18 schools, a waterfront Holiday Inn and Punta Gorda's marina.
Workers broke ground in June for a county events center. One school has been rebuilt, and the others are in the process. A developer has applied for permits to build a hotel on the old Holiday Inn site (slated to open in 2009) and a 200-unit condo complex replaced one that was destroyed.
Some 27,000 homes, mostly in Punta Gorda and Port Charlotte, lost their roofs. Many were replaced with shiny tin ones that give the town a prosperous, Key West air.
Nearly all of the 5,500 manufactured homes lost during Charley have been replaced by newer, stronger versions, says Wayne Sallade, the county's director of emergency management for 20 years.
All this progress, he says, was "urban renewal by disaster."
Many schools, homes and other buildings weren't in the best shape, he says.
"Because of the way the economy was, rebuilding wasn't going to get done. But Charley said, 'Now. Do it now.'"
Charlotte County officials learned from Hurricane Andrew, a category 5 storm that devastated Homestead in 1992. So, with the local media, they were able to warn people how to prepare for Charley, he says. Building standards had also improved by the time Charley hit, in great measure because of Andrew.
"We only lost four people in Charlotte County in one of the worst storms to hit the United States," he says.
Instead of feeling sorry for themselves, folks here are proud of what they have done and look forward to what's to come.
"I've been amazed by the turnaround," says Sallade, who has lived in Punta Gorda 43 of his 53 years and witnessed the loss of his elementary, junior high and high schools to Charley.
"The community just has a spirit and always had a spirit of 'Let's get it done. Let's get the job done.' It's very gratifying to see how this community has responded.
New Growth, Better Growth
Although they admit feeling guilty for saying it, some residents say the hurricane - not withstanding its tragic aftermath - ended up good for the town in many ways.
"It turned out to be a blessing," says Estelle Kleiner, a clerk at a kitchen store in the historic district, referring to Punta Gorda and Port Charlotte. "Everything - every strip center, the fire stations and lots of houses - look better than they did before. And, just like in New Orleans, the blighted areas are now a lot better."
The storm gave townspeople a fresh palette from which to plan and build. So while visitors may see vacant, grassy lots downtown, residents envision the hotel, condos and shops that will soon appear and others being planned.
"It's horrible it had to happen that way, but everything is coming back better than it was before," says Heidi Williamson, who owns a boutique, So Sausalito, a block from Sunloft Center.
The new ubiquitous Key West-style architecture - characterized by white or yellow clapboard buildings capped with tin roofs - is much more attractive than the old 1950s and '60s era concrete buildings torn down after Charley, she says.
"Charlotte County," she concludes, "needed a face-lift."
An estimated 1,000 businesses owners were adversely affected by Charley. But some, including Williamson's husband, who has a fan and lighting store in Port Charlotte, ended up better off, she says.
"My husband lost his whole showroom," she says. "His roof looked like a sardine can. His showroom is just gorgeous now. He's taken over more of the building so his business is bigger."
Kathy Burnam, marketing director for Fishermen's Village, a popular complex of 47 rental villas, six restaurants, 37 shops and a marina overlooking the Peace River and Charlotte Harbor, agrees.
"Sometimes, life gives you lemons and you make lemonade. We just sweetened it," she says.
Charley roared over Fishermen's Village with 145-mph winds, damaging roofs and drenching some villas and stores.
All the stores reopened for business within five to six weeks, but it took a year to renovate the second floor of villas available for weekend, weekly and longer stays.
"The storm," Burnam says, "gave us the opportunity to be able to reinvent ourselves."
Now, the complex's buildings are painted pastel yellow, green and blue; they used to be drab blue, gray and mauve. All the decor in the villas is new. The Captain's Table restaurant has been redecorated and has a new outdoor dining area, something it didn't have before Charley.
"Luckily, Charley was not a Katrina," Burnam says. "There is no comparison, because we didn't have a storm surge."
Some sheared, dead trees still mar the landscape, but new buildings are everywhere and on just about every street signs proclaim: "Opening Soon" or "Now Open."
James Roland, who co-owns The Perfect Caper restaurant with his chef wife, Jeanie, likes the trend toward more upscale shops and restaurants. Transplanted from Southern California, he says the couple love their new adopted home and look forward to seeing its progress.
Their restaurant on East Marion Avenue, within walking distance of a huge, new courthouse, is part of that redevelopment. His wife's creations, the wait staff's attentive service and the eatery's elegant decor would fit right in to New York City or other large cities.
The same could be said of River City Grill and Zen Asian Bistro, other popular places to eat and be seen on Marion.
Nature's Allure
Residents refer to the hurricane as just plain "Charley," as if it were a terrible man who ravaged their town. In truth, the storm did ravage Punta Gorda - Spanish for "fat point," so named because of the way it juts out into Charlotte Harbor. But it didn't change the natural beauty of the area, especially its prized Gulf of Mexico, Charlotte Harbor and Peace River.
They alone present plenty of good reasons to visit.
Grande Tours offers guided kayak trips on the Gulf out of the little village of Placida, about 30 minutes west of Punta Gorda near Boca Grande. Those who don't want to take a tour can rent kayaks and go out on their own.
Guide Bill Godek, who has degrees in archaeology and anthropology from the University of Florida, tells his charges all about the Indians who lived in this area thousands of years ago, pointing through the thick mangroves to their oyster middens.
Charley damaged some mangroves, but they're growing back in most areas, he says. He seems more disturbed by the recent development of condominium complexes in the area. So much development and its resulting runoff aren't good for the area's osprey, herons, egrets, ibis and other wildlife, he says.
A fishing mecca, the area supports a slew of fishing guides and is a favorite among anglers with their own boats. Those with no boat can fish on a pier at the new Laishley Park marina.
The sightseeing catamaran Coconut Woman leaves the marina for tours in the harbor, rivers, lakes and Intracoastal Waterway.
King Fisher's boat tour, out of Fishermen's Village, is another wonderful way to get out in Charlotte Harbor and the Peace River.
"Charlotte Harbor is the second largest harbor on the Gulf of Mexico, second only to Tampa Bay," Capt. Joe Bennett says over the boat's intercom. "The Peace, Myakka and Caloosahatchee rivers all feed into the harbor. The only other estuary larger in the whole United States is Chesapeake Bay."
On most tours, passengers see bottlenose dolphins frolic in the water close to the boat.
They seem to like people, Bennett says as three follow along in the boat's wake. "They estimate that 200 dolphin live in the harbor."
Along the way, he points out the city marina and other places where Charley struck, updating his passengers on the rebuilding progress.
Gesturing toward a soaring white tent along the river bank, he says it's the temporary events center and that ground was broken in early June on the $19.6 million permanent center.
He points to the two bridges spanning the harbor and tells passengers to notice the new vintage-style street lights. The historical society fought for those lights over modern looking ones, he says.
That sums up the new Punta Gorda, a blend of the old and new, a hybrid different than it was before but maybe even better.
'POINT' WELL TAKEN
HOW TO GET THERE: Punta Gorda is in Charlotte County. From Tampa, take Interstate 75 south to the Punta Gorda exit (Exit 164, U.S. 17), then head west into the city.
WHERE TO STAY:
•If you plan to stay three nights or longer and enjoy luxury and space, try Harbor Pointe Resort, off U.S. 41 at 5121 Melbourne St., Port Charlotte. The three-bedroom, 2 1/2 -bath units include a full kitchen, washers and dryers, a living room, dining room and porch. Rates range from $95 to $150 a night, depending on season. Call 1-877-627-9930 or go to www.resortquest.com/harborpointe.
•Fishermen's Village, 1200 W. Retta Esplanade, Punta Gorda, is a complex that includes shops, restaurants, a marina and 47 villas. Rates range from $156.80 to $212.80 per night, depending on season. Call 1-800-639-0020.
•For other area options, including a renovated Best Western in Punta Gorda, go to www.charlotteharbortravel.com.
WHERE TO EAT:
•For delicious meals, elegant surroundings and top-flight service, go to The Perfect Caper, 121 E. Marion Ave., Punta Gorda. Co-owner-chef Jeanie Roland is known for Eurasian dishes, fresh organic vegetables and Black Angus steaks cooked to perfection. Try one of her delicious, creative desserts. For reservations, call (941) 505-9009. For details, go to www.theperfectcaper.com.
•River City Grill, 131 W. Marion Ave., Punta Gorda, is a local favorite. From just about every table, diners can watch the chefs creating meals in an open-air kitchen. If you like Asian cuisine, try something from the Zen menu. For reservations, call (941) 639-9080. For details, go to www.rivercitygrill.org.
•Owned by the same people, Zen Asian Bistro, next door to River City Grill, offers Asian dishes featuring seafood, beef, pork and more. Call (941) 639-7655.
•For seafood with an open view of Charlotte Harbor and the Peace River, head to Fishermen's Village and ask to sit outside at Harpoon Harry's. The menu includes fresh seafood, burgers, sandwiches, salads and more. If you like grouper, try the outstanding Caesar salad topped with blackened grouper.For reservations, call (941) 637-1177.
•Locals also highly recommend The Captain's Table above Harpoon Harry's. With the same impressive water views, it is a little more formal than its casual downstairs sister but gets the same rave reviews. For reservations, call (941) 637-1177.
BOAT RIDES: Catch a ride on boats run by King Fisher Fleet out of Fishermen's Village. On 1 1/2 -hour tours of Charlotte Harbor and the Peace River, you'll likely see dolphins, shore birds, waterfront homes, Punta Gorda's new marina and impressive boats. The company also offers cruises to Cabbage Key and Cayo Costa; a sunset cruise; a Peace River Nature Tour; and a half-day harbor cruise. Call (941) 639-0969 or go to www.kingfisherfleet.com.
KAYAK TOURS: Head to Grande Tours, 12575 Placida Road, Placida, near the bridge leading to Boca Grande. If you prefer to go it alone, rent a kayak and follow maps provided by the company. Call (941) 697-8825.