Construction of the Sunseeker Resort at Charlotte Harbor may resume by the end of the year. (Credit: Sunseeker Resorts) The future of a Southwest Florida resort looks a little clearer. Construction of the Sunseeker Resort at Charlotte Harbor may resume by the end of the year, which is welcome news to nearby business owners we spoke to. Barry and Jane Babler moved to Punta Gorda in 2019 to retire. That didn’t last long; now they’re running Hammer & Stain Studio off US-41. “Downtown Punta Gorda has a lot of little artisan shops and it’s a destination where people come to do things,” Barry said. A great place to live, work, play and visit. That’s why Allegiant Air picked nearby Charlotte Harbor for its Sunseeker Resort. The airline aimed to open the resort on US-41 in late 2020, but the pandemic forced Allegiant to pause construction last spring. “We were really looking forward to all the people that were going to be coming into Punta Gorda,” Jane said. Maurice Gallagher, chairman and CEO of Allegiant Air, and John Redmond, president, are confident construction will take off again before the end of the year. “I’ve got a lot of regret. I wish we would’ve finished it; we’d be in great shape right now with what’s going on in Southwest Florida,” Gallagher said. “In regards to Sunseeker, we’ve been getting quite a bit of interest of late, and we’re hoping to get something done that would allow the project to start before the end of the year,” Redmond said. That gives hope to business owners like the Bablers, who are still working to bounce back from a tough year. “It’s good to know that something’s going to be happening there. It’s just not going to be sitting,” Barry said. Allegiant’s revenue is up more than 13% from the fourth quarter of 2020. The airline discussed the possibility of an investor to resume Sunseeker’s construction, but there’s no word yet on an official partnership.