Punta Gorda Plans $1.5M Tiki Hut Event Center on Waterfront Property

City officials in Punta Gorda will build a $1.5 million tiki hut at the former Bayfront Center site. Insurance money from Hurricane Ian's destruction in 2022 will fund this new waterfront structure in Gilchrist Park.

Workers will construct the venue using natural thatch roofing, placing it on the existing concrete foundation. The old building came down last October, leaving behind a solid base for the new project.

"It will be sort of an event center that we could have live bands - people can rent it for celebrations and wedding and kind of a whole variety of opportunities to use it," said Greg Julian, Vice-Mayor of Punta Gorda, to Fox 4.

Situated along the Harborwalk, this fresh addition will give locals a spot to gather. The next step falls to city planners, who must draft detailed construction specs.

The start date for the tiki hut has not been finalized.