Flying beneath the radar is a gaining-traction proposal for the Cape Coral Yacht Club park that would replace the “park” aspect of the riverfront complex with privately operated commercial amenities.

With demolition of the historic Yacht Club Ballroom, Tony Rotino Senior Center and other structures on track for as early as October, city officials are talking about a full-complex public-private partnership model among options to rebuild post-Ian.

The concept has long had a toe-hold there, previously with a small food concession, now with the popular Boathouse Tiki Bar & Grill, which just reopened Monday.

City Council has publicly discussed offering space for an additional restaurant or two within the lease arrangement with the idea now running through City Hall channels to possibly enter into similar arrangements for other amenities, which include a multi-story pay-to-park parking garage and a new two-story “meeting venue” to replace the Ballroom community center and pool.

Public-private partnerships, also called P3s, are neither atypical nor “bad.” The city, in fact, opted to enter into this type of contract for operation of Sun Splash Family Waterpark a few years ago. The results have been positive so far, with the private operator providing upgrades at its expense.

The Cape Coral Yacht Club — which offered the city’s only waterfront beach, only community center, only public marina and, until Ian, only public pier, is a wholly different type of facility.

It was designed and built by the developers who founded Cape Coral more than 60 years ago as the then-fledgling community’s first public amenity — with free membership and open to all. The public was the priority.

The public-private partnership option under discussion for the Yacht Club would place the emphasis on the second P in the P3, offering “a destination” comparable to privately developed “destinations” such as Cape Harbour and Tarpon Point.

The question is, do we, the residents, want this rare waterfront park site and its public-purpose amenities supplanted with land leases and public-access commercial venues?

If so, to what degree?

The answer?

We don’t know.

And neither does city staff or City Council.

While various options for a revised Yacht Club park have been the subject of sometimes passionate public debate, open discussion on a full P3 option for redevelopment has been lacking.

We urge Council to correct that.

Get this on a Council workshop agenda ASAP.

–Breeze editorial