LETTER: Vote to build something on Marketplace

Editor: We moved to Punta Gorda Isles in 2015 and cannot imagine living anywhere else in Florida. We frequently have family and friends visit and we enjoy taking them to our local restaurants and shopping at Fishermen's Village. We also enjoy visiting the Military Heritage Museum, Peace River Wildlife Center, and other attractions in our area. Some of our favorite restaurants are located downtown and we are embarrassed to take our guests there because of the unkept empty land in the heart of downtown Punta Gorda that is filled with weeds and thrash and has been that way for the past 22-plus years. It is difficult to explain that it is that way because our local city government is so focused on restrictions on what can be built that they are unwilling to compromise and allow a developer to build a Town Center that will draw businesses and people to downtown. So, what if they build a structure that is a little taller than the hotels between them and the water, who knows, they may want to put a rooftop restaurant on the building with a magnificent view of the harbor.My friends and I will be voting in November for City Council candidates that commit to developing a plan to encourage development of the Punta Gorda Marketplace, making this a top priority, and are willing to make concessions to get developers interested in investing in the future of Punta Gorda. Robert Weisenbeck Punta Gorda