CAPE CORAL, Fla. — Cape Coral is moving forward with plans to develop 22 acres of vacant land near downtown, with city officials hoping to create an urban environment where people can live, work and play.
Hear what Cape Coral's City Manager and CRA hope to see from developers:
The Bimini East Project, located steps away from Four Freedoms Park, was presented to potential investors on Tuesday as the city seeks to transform the area.
I spoke with Ilczyszyn about the city's vision for the property, which is now up for sale to developers after the city spent nearly $43 million acquiring and clearing the land.
The project faced some community backlash after homes and duplexes were removed, but Ilczyszyn explained that Hurricane Ian had left many structures uninhabitable due to FEMA's 50% rule for rebuilding.
"We knew as a city organization and as the CRA that the condition of those properties was adding to the slum and blight in South Cape," Ilczyszyn said.
The city hopes developers will incorporate the nearby waterfront park into their proposals.
"What we are going to announce tonight is we would like to have a developer activate that waterfront and utilize that park, or create more open space within the development in order to create that public gathering, that sitting area," Ilczyszyn said.
Citizens have mixed reactions to the development plans. Al Gross, who lives in South Cape, believes the project will benefit the entire community.
Listen to what residents think about the development:
"I think it will revitalize the entire city. It's going to provide more people, more places to have fun, more places to live, more places to go to restaurants, more places to play. A lot of a lot of different things. I like the idea of a multi-use property," Gross said.
However, Patricia Benson, who regularly uses Four Freedoms Park, hopes the park will remain unchanged but welcomes the development.
"I think that would be a lot better for the community, especially if they left this alone," Benson said.
The city will begin accepting requests for proposals in July with a September deadline. Officials hope to reach an agreement with a developer by early 2026.
See Prior Reporting On Bimini:
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