Full swing

Swinging hammers, concrete trucks and hard hats aren't uncommon sights these days in Punta Gorda, which is experiencing something of a building boom.

The city, perhaps best known for being on the devastating receiving end of 2004's Hurricane Charley, has been steadily climbing its way back and shows no signs of slowing down.
“Most studies show that after a major event like a hurricane, it takes 10 years for an area to completely rebound,” says Randall Cole, chief building official for the city of Punta Gorda. “The recession didn't help us there, but we're back now to pre-storm, pre-recession days.”

The single-family home sector is particularly hot. The city of Punta Gorda issued 107 permits for single-family homes in 2014, up 282% from 28 in 2011 and only 12 in 2009. And according to Cole, 2015 permits are already up 30% over the same time period last year.