Laura Layden | Naples Daily News
A bigger and better Port Royal Club is one step closer to reality in Naples.
The city’s planning advisory board voted unanimously Wednesday in favor of the multimillion-dollar project, with a few added conditions.
Built in 1959, the one-story private club, steps from the Gulf of Mexico, served as a social hub for Port Royal residents for decades. The right to membership is one of the reasons the wealthy have flocked to the community, named for the famous Jamaican pirate haven.
Hurricane Ian wrought so much damage to the clubhouse that it could not be salvaged.
The planning advisory board has recommended approval of three petitions for the reconstruction.
City council will hear the petitions on June 19, making the ultimate decision on them.
For the project to move ahead as proposed, council must grant the conditional use for a new two-story clubhouse, and give a thumbs up to site-specific parking plans, including valet services. The roughly 5.5-acre site sits in a public service district, which allows for such a project, with a special exception.
With a West Indies look, fitting of its name, the reimagined clubhouse will meet the latest hurricane standards, while offering a larger footprint, with more dining options. The goal is to preserve the charm of it as much as possible, with a design that will stand the test of time, lasting another 70 years.
The building will be elevated, to meet the current guidelines, established by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Dick Del Bello, president of the Port Royal Property Owners’ Association, urged the planning board to support the project, saying his board of directors is wholeheartedly behind it.
The loss of the club, he said, has left a “devastating hole” in the community.
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