Gilchrist Park’s future brightens as boat cleanup commences

The boats blocking Gilchrist Park are ready to be moved two years after Hurricane Ian.

There’s a crane all set up that’s hard to miss in downtown Punta Gorda.

But, even as we see the city making moves, there is still no actual movement.

WINK News reporter Zoe Warner went to Gilchrist Park in Punta Gorda to find out when we will see the boats actually moved.

Crews are scheduled to start on Thursday, and they blocked off part of the road earlier Wednesday for trucks coming in and out

The Harborwalk is still open, but until the boats are hauled out, the park will remain closed.

The city of Punta Gorda hopes for smooth sailing as crews work to remove these five boats from Gilchrest Park starting Thursday.

Park visitors Craig and his dog Jules can’t wait for the park to look like it did before Hurricane Milton hit.

“She loves it here. They’ve only been able to walk on the sidewalks and right along the harbor; all the green areas are closed since we came down from the north,” said Craig.

The beached boats are littered throughout the park since they washed up on shore during the storm.

Some park visitors are tired of the eyesores and are glad to see signs that they will be cleared up soon.

“I think it’s time, don’t you? I mean, it’s been a while, and it’s good to have them out of here,” said one park visitor. “We have lived here 12 years. We’ve seen this little park go through quite a number of iterations. It’s just one of our favorite places in town.”

It will take a couple of days to remove all the boats, but once they are, the city plans to host a park cleanup day.