Sunseeker Resort adjusts building plans to place emphasis on hotel rooms

Another change in plans has been made for the 22 acre Sunseeker Resort, which doesn’t surprise Lynne and Michael Magritz.

“I’ve been online and seen it went from this to that to this to that,” Lynne said. “This beautiful little fishing village is going to be turned into a Las Vegas style resort.”

The original plan included 720 condominium units and a small hotel with 75 rooms. However, the Sunseeker Resort will place an emphasis on hotel rooms, adjusting the original plans.

The updates to the original plans for the Sunseeker Resort will decrease the condominiums to less than 180 while it increases the hotel rooms to around 500.

“There’s so many condos around here right now that are just vacant,” Michael said.

A change that many people in Charlotte County think will provide more flexibility.

“They can come in a couple days, a couple weeks, whatever they want to do,” Julie Mathis, executive director of Charco Chamber of Commerce, said.

Leads and neighbors also hope it will attract more people to the southwest Florida area.

“To have just the hotels, that’d probably be good,” Johnny Martinez said. “I mean, we have people come and go all the time.”

Johnny walks through the Bayshore Live Oak Park routinely. It is one of his favorite parts of living in the area.

“We’ve always come out and enjoyed the waterfront,” Johnny said, “To kind of see it get knocked down and see it go away eh, mixed emotions.”

But he accepts that the times are changing. He hopes they can preserve the natural beauty that the area has to offer.

“This place is attractive; this is a hotspot,” Johnny said. “It was just a matter of time before investors started coming in and started seeing the potential that’s here.”

A potential for development that is driving neighbors like Michael and Lynne away.

“We’re going to move,” Lynne said. “The whole plan just doesn’t fit here in this little town — it just doesn’t.”