- March 28, 2024
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Cape Coral was one of the hardest-hit cities in the country during the peak of the foreclosure crisis and earned some unflattering names.
But the mayor of Florida's third-largest city by landmass says construction is booming again. Residential and commercial permits have spiked 50% and 183%, respectively.
“Cape Coral is not Cape Coma any longer,” says Marni Sawicki, the city's mayor.
Sawicki spoke recently to executives with the Real Estate Investment Society. She told the gathering the city is focused on building roads, installing fiber-optic cable and creating other incentives that will help diversify the overwhelmingly residential base.
“These are things we need to keep pushing for,” Sawicki says. “We're 92% residential.”
For example, Sawicki is advocating for the redevelopment of Bimini Basin in the southeast area of Cape Coral that would be transformed into a waterfront destination with parks, restaurants, shops and other attractions. The city, which owns one of three large parcels there, will issue a request for proposals in July for developers. “We need to make that a destination,” she says.
Already, the Cape Coral Parkway corridor is attracting new businesses such as brewpubs, restaurants and shops. Sawicki says 23 new businesses have opened there in the last year.
Sawicki acknowledged traffic congestion remains a challenge, particularly with the population growth. “We're the city no one thought would happen,” she says.