The Charlotte County Economic Development Partnership promotes development of business and workforce opportunities in our Punta Gorda area. Their mission is to help facilitate a strong local economy. You can stay apprised of their activities by getting their newsletter.

Published in November 2018, the book is “your gateway to 100 cities hand-picked by the experts at Where to Retire magazine, the authority on retirement relocation.” You have to buy the book to see where we place! Available on Amazon.

Charlotte County tourist development tax collected for fiscal year exceeds $4 million for the first time. During the year 10/1/2017 – 9/30/2018, over $4.1M TDT revenues marked a 4.8% increase over the previous fiscal year. Says the Punta Gorda Englewood Beach Visitor & Convention Bureau, “October through June exceeded last year’s TDT collections, however, there was a drop in collections July through September compared to last year which is most likely due to the red tide bloom.”

Punta Gorda is #10 on the list by Travel+Leisure magazine as an affordable winter travel destination. The weather, exciting and relaxing attractions, proximity to larger city areas, and more, bring to our city an ever-growing number of winter visitors. Kudos to the many businesses and Chambers for working to make this happen!

At the PG City Council meeting the day after elections, the new council members were sworn in. Congrats to incumbents Jaha Cummings & Lynne Matthews; and to Debbie Carey, new council member. Our new mayor is Nancy Prafke, former Team Punta Gorda head and 6-year council member. Vice mayor is Lynne Matthews.

Micah Richins, executive VP & COO of the Resort, announced that current plans call for construction of ~500 hotel rooms in a main resort building and another 160 – 180 condominium units in two towers as part of the $420M Phase 1. Vertical construction is anticipated to start in February.

Univ. of Florida has found a beetle that eats the highly-invasive Air Potato plant that is suffocating landscaping and natural areas of vegetation here in Southern Florida. The Air Potato Leaf Beetle, from Nepal, eats only air potato leaves, decimating the plant and self-managing its population with the level of its food source.  You can request the beetles from UF or USDA. For more information, visit http://bcrcl.ifas.ufl.edu/airpotatobiologicalcontrol.shtml

We are proud to announce that CHS has earned a silver ranking in the US News & World Report Best High Schools. This ranking awards top high schools with gold, silver & bronze medals, indicating the school’s overall level of student college readiness.

From Punta Gorda Airport, Allegiant now flies to 4 new locations. Now you can fly into Appleton (Oshkosh/Green Bay area) WI, Omaha Nebraska, Syracuse NY & Buffalo NY. How convenient is that!

According to news sources, the library is ON TARGET for it’s July 2019 opening!

The Red Tide Institute at Mote will now be able to expand its research of Florida red tide, thanks to an endowment by the Andrew & Judith Edonomos Charitable Foundation. Based now in Sarasota, the marine research institution got its start in 1955 studying our Charlotte Harbor estuary. Note: The Aquarium is a great place to visit!

Thanks to the partnership with highly regarded Aviation College at Western Michigan University, advanced degrees in flight training, airport operations and management, and aviation mechanics (Airframe and Powerplant, or A&P) will soon be offered at the local campus of Florida SouthWestern State College and the newly renovated Punta Gorda Airport. (Approval from the Higher Learning Commission is in the works.)