| A half-billion dollars in new
projects proposed for Cape Coral’s downtown district
will change the area rapidly in the next year.
“In the first quarter of next year, you will see cranes
on the horizon downtown from Skyline Boulevard,” said
Chet Hunt, outgoing CRA director.
The CRA plan calls for multilevel buildings with a Mediterranean
flair. Integrated parking garages, balconies, awnings and
other structures that provide protection for pedestrians are
all part of the plan to make downtown more modern and pedestrian
friendly. Restaurants and other businesses will be integrated
with residential buildings.
CRA contributions to the projects range from $250 to $500,000.
The projects include individual business owners who are remodeling
and developers who are working on new projects of all sizes.
Hunt already has files on more than 20 projects, but not all
of them are ready to make their plans public.
New Developments
Construction is scheduled to start this week on a new $1.3
million office and residential development at Southeast 46th
Street and Southeast 16th Place.
David Devic, who is the owner and builder for the project,
expects the building will be completed by July or August.
It will include five offices and five residential units.
Devic, who had been building in the area for 30 years, received
$10,000 from the CRA to redesign his building. He was intrigued
by the idea of making Cape Coral resemble the manicured, upscale
look of Naples.
A larger $5 million retail and professional center will be
starting construction at Southeast 15th Avenue and Southeast
47th Terrace when Devic’s project is scheduled to be
completed.
Mark Steinberg, owner of Fremar Construction, plans to erect
four buildings connected by courtyards and breezeways. The
tallest building will be five stories.
Steinberg, who has lived in Cape Coral for 17 years, was also
interested in revamping the city’s image.
“The downtown area certainly needs a pedestrian-friendly
amenity such as the Bell Tower”, Steinberg said, referring
to the Fort Myers shopping and dining area.
He based the design of the 23,000-square-foot development
on the Bell Tower Shops and several European villages he visited.
“It’s a place where people can walk through in
the evening and have a latte and look at a boutique”,
Steinberg said.
Bob Snow of Harbor Construction is planning Cape Villagio,
one of the largest developments in the works for downtown.
The two 12-story buildings will include integrated parking
garages, 60,000 square feet of commercial space and 120 condominiums.
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The three-acre site east of Del
Prado Boulevard between Southeast 47th Street and Southeast
46th Lane is vacant. Snow expects to begin construction in
one year.
“It’s probably the only piece that’s ready
to go,” Snow said. “We will be the first ones
out of the box.”
Some other projects require the developer to assemble pieces
of land. Snow expects to build the project over five years,
but tenants should be able to start moving in within three
years.
“It’s a developer’s dream,” Snow said
about the CRA district. “We usually build residential.
We really would never have gone into downtown.”
Cape Villagio’s concept is to create a neighborhood
that will include shopping, four restaurants, and a pool and
jogging trail on top of the parking garages for residents.
Snow plans to seek out small, local business owners instead
of chain stores. He hopes to create the type of development
where residents can live upstairs and operate their business
downstairs.
“You look around at old cities and that is how they
developed,” Snow said.
A new Club Square concept developed by John Arnold of Marco
Island is the centerpiece of the CRA plan for revitalizing
downtown Cape Coral.
The CRA is promoting the plan to replace the asphalt parking
lot just north of Southeast 47th Terrace with brick walkways,
underground utilities, a parking garage and shops. The city
is still working on legal issues relating to building the
parking garage.
Individual Businesses
ScreenPrint Plus on Southeast 47th Street will complete its
renovations by mid-November. The company received a $7,000
CRA grant to add a tile roof and improved landscaping when
it built a 9,000-square-foot addition to its existing 7,000-square-foot
building.
“It’s a positive step into the future of Cape
Coral,” said vice president Mitch Williamson. “All
of Cape Coral will start looking that way.”
Joni Johnson, owner of B&D Interiors on Southeast 47th
Terrace, is already in the process of remodeling the interior
of her building. She hopes to start on the exterior in early
2005.
“We want to stay consistent with what they have planned
for downtown,” Johnson said.
She is not eligible for CRA funds because her building is
not directly on the street and will not be moved.
Johnson is planning to expand her business in the next few
years onto property she owns on Cape Coral Parkway. That project
would be eligible for CRA funding.
Rack ‘em Billiards on Southeast 47th Terrace is also
planning to remodel its building. The owner could not be reached
for comment.
Other businesses along Cape Coral Parkway recently renovated
their buildings to meet CRA requirements.
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