I've read many letters to the editor about every project in Punta Gorda and find myself wondering, What is all the fuss about? After Hurricane Charley last summer, everybody said, "You will not recognize Punta Gorda in five years."

Well, guess what? We've got four more years to go before we won't recognize it. Over the weekend I drove from Sarasota to Punta Gorda (or was it Iraq? I couldn't tell the difference). The town is slow in moving forward because the people are still shell-shocked from developers in its past.

The condo-hotel deal is a great idea for the old Holiday Inn site. I'm looking to invest in two or three units myself, just like I'm going to invest in the Sonesta Legacy Resort condo-hotel in Lakewood Ranch (eastern Manatee County). I'm not going to live there. There are many more investors just like me, and that's who will buy these units.

Condo-hotels are a growing trend, and Punta Gorda is lucky to have this type of investment opportunity in its downtown.

Stephen Svecak
Nokomis