The Port Royal Club told the City of Naples this summer that reconstruction of its clubhouse at 2900 Gordon Drive was "nearing completion." The club also said management was fine-tuning operating details ahead of a grand opening in October 2026 and the new clubhouse's first season, 2026–27. That target falls about four years after Hurricane Ian destroyed the 65-year-old, one-story clubhouse on September 28, 2022.
The building going up is a different kind of place. It has three levels, stands 48.6 feet high, and was approved with indoor and outdoor dining, a new pool deck, and a two-story garage. On September 2, City Council added more outdoor seating on the Gulf side and approved live entertainment in seven locations. The club Port Royal gets back is planned around the outdoors and the evening hours, and the city permits already spell out what that means for the street around it.
Four Seasons of Food Trucks and Trailers
The gap is part of the story. After the storm, members got by with a food truck and beach-side trailers serving lunch and drinks. In 2024 the club asked for a 5,000-square-foot dining tent with modular support trailers to fill the gap until the new building opened. Council turned it down, and, according to Naples Press, the club said it would keep offering other dining and gathering options during construction.
The approvals took most of 2024. City Council approved the conditional-use petition on August 21 of that year. The Design Review Board gave final design approval on September 25, which was the last step before construction permits. When the club got that approval, it said it planned to break ground in December and expected to finish in late 2026. A City pre-application form tied to a June 6, 2025 meeting said the building permit had been issued and construction was "well underway." It estimated completion in summer 2026. The current target, October, is a few months later than that estimate and still within the first plan's late-2026 window.
| Date | Milestone on file |
|---|---|
| Sept. 28, 2022 | Hurricane Ian destroys the original one-story clubhouse |
| Aug. 21, 2024 | City Council approves the expanded three-level clubhouse |
| Sept. 25, 2024 | Design Review Board grants final design approval |
| June 6, 2025 | Pre-application meeting; City form reports permit issued, construction well underway |
| April 15, 2026 | Council approves seawall redesign amendment |
| June 30, 2026 | Club files for added outdoor dining, cites October opening |
| Sept. 2, 2026 | Council approves outdoor dining, live entertainment, parking update |
Where the New Building Puts the Evening
Suffolk Construction, the Estero-based builder, describes a three-story clubhouse with about 62,000 square feet of amenities, dining areas and kitchens. Covered outdoor areas, open-air event spaces and pools are listed separately from that figure. The project also includes a 100,000-square-foot parking garage and service area and a separate building for a kids club and kitchen support. Hart Howerton, the New York and San Francisco firm behind the West Indies-inspired design, added a Gulf-front infinity pool and several dining options. Naples-based Outside Productions designed the layered landscaping, which drew praise from the Design Review Board.
The plans the city approved in 2024 name the outdoor dining areas. They are labels for places on the property, not restaurant brands:
- Pool Area, Pool Bar and Pool Terrace
- Sunset Bar
- Board Room Terrace and North Terrace
- Banquet Porch
- Casual Dining Porch, À La Carte Dining Porch and Private Dining Porch
- After Dinner Porch
The list shows how the building works. Most of the dining happens on porches, terraces and around the pool, and two of the names, the Sunset Bar and the After Dinner Porch, describe the time of day they're meant for. The club's 2026 parking filing sorts the food-and-beverage program into casual dining, fine dining, and lounges and bars.
The September Vote Added More of the Same
Two years after the original outdoor dining approval, the club asked for more. Its June 30 application said that because outdoor dining had grown popular and members had asked for more of it, the club wanted another 4,370 square feet at ground level, in the middle of the property toward the Gulf. The space holds 18 tables, 72 chairs and 26 chaise lounges, and the Fire Marshal had already approved its life safety plan.
Council considered three companion petitions on September 2 and approved all three unanimously:
| Petition | What it does |
|---|---|
| Outdoor dining, Petition 26-OD3 | Adds the Gulf-side ground-level seating area |
| Live entertainment | Allows performances at seven indoor and outdoor locations |
| Parking needs analysis | Adopts an updated analysis, with no other changes proposed to the 2024 conditional-use resolution |
Clay Brooker, the club's agent, and Tim McCarthy of Hart Howerton presented the petitions. They said the extra outdoor seating came out of operations planning and member feedback. The application expects outdoor service to run from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., limited by the main restaurant's hours and possibly shorter in some seasons.
Back in 2024, outdoor dining was one of the closer calls. Council allowed it on a 6–1 vote, with Vice Mayor Terry Hutchison voting no. This year's expansion passed with no dissent.
The Rules Written for Gordon Drive
A larger club that stays open later sits next to private homes on Gordon Drive. The city's conditions for that arrangement are already on file, and they have shaped the project since 2024.
The south property line got the most attention. City code limits walls to 6 feet. In 2024 Council voted 5–2 to allow an 11-foot wall there, with Mayor Teresa Heitmann and Councilwoman Linda Penniman opposed. The final plan puts the 11-foot wall next to the pool deck, uses a six-foot wall for the rest of the line, and adds landscaping. On April 15, 2026, Council unanimously approved Resolution 2026-15841. It reflects revised plans that run the club's seawall to the property line.
The other conditions cover the day-to-day:
- Construction staging has to stay on site. Any work in the public right-of-way needs a City permit, and parking in public rights-of-way is not allowed.
- Traffic mitigation, such as a turn lane, is the club's responsibility if specified traffic evidence shows it's needed.
- Deliveries by vehicles with more than two axles are limited to 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. once the clubhouse is finished.
For the new dining area, the application commits to following the City noise ordinance and points to the 11-foot privacy wall and landscape buffer on the south line. The live entertainment approval requires building and fire permits and life-safety inspections before any performances. It also sets a six-month compliance review, with the clock starting on the date of the certificate of occupancy. The first check on how the evening program is working is built into the approval.
What "October" Means as of September 30
The October opening is the club's own stated target, filed with the city in June. The filing names a month, not a day, and it describes the clubhouse as nearing completion rather than complete. The certificate matters because it starts the live entertainment review, so the CO date will also set when the city first looks at how the outdoor evenings are going.
The timing lines up with the rest of the south end coming back for season. A few blocks north, the Olde Naples Hotel opened its first building at 200 Broad Avenue on May 15, along with Annie's Bistro, Bar & Bakery. Third Street South holds its Autumn Sidewalk Sale October 15 through 18 and lights its tree for the 49th Christmas on Third on November 23. On Gordon Drive, the main thing to watch is whether the 11-foot wall, the 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. delivery limit, and the 11 p.m. outdoor service window hold up once the Sunset Bar and the After Dinner Porch are full.
Being next to an amenity that's being rebuilt affects a property's value and its listing. If you own near the Gulf end of Gordon Drive and want to know how the club's first season factors into what your home is worth, Kevin L Fuller can walk you through it. Request a Custom Home Valuation and we'll prepare one for your address.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.
