Plan to incorporate golf course into CRA district nears fruition
Plans to bring The Golf Club golf course into the Cape Coral Redevelopment Agency are inching closer to becoming reality, as officials with the course’s current owner, Florida Gulf Ventures, and the Trust for Public Lands, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation of open spaces, are nearing an agreement to purchase the course.
“The Trust for Public Lands and Florida Gulf Ventures, they’ve agreed to everything in principle,” said John Jacobsen, executive director of the CRA.
According to Jacobsen, the two parties will agree on an appraiser and the parameters of the appraisal of the property.
As the golf course’s purchase is being negotiated, the CRA is looking to annex the surrounding land so it may buy the land from TPL.
The CRA must get the approval of the Cape Coral City Council and the Lee County Commission to annex the 180-acre course and surrounding homes into its boundaries.
City council members are scheduled to discuss the issue Monday. They could decide to move forward with a study to determine if the area is blighted and can be incorporated into the CRA.
According to city documents, the study is projected to cost $26,500 and should be completed by March 31.
In other news
— The master utility plan for the CRA is nearly complete. The plan is currently being reviewed by CRA staff before being submitted to CRA board members, and eventually to city council members for their approval.
Under the new plan, all utilities will be incorporated into one comprehensive plan, making it easier for developers to design plans that adhere to city codes.
“It takes six months off the cycle,” Jacobsen said of the time cut from the city’s red-tape-filled permitting process.
MWH developed the plan over nine months with input from the Lee County Electrical Cooperation, Comcast, Embarq and other utility companies.
George Joyce, MWH project manager, said streamlining the utility plan would make the downtown area more attractive to developers.
“It’s not piecemeal anymore. Now there’s a comprehensive plan,” Joyce said.
Another incentive the master plan carries for developers is drawing attention to the area’s large capacity.
“We have enough capacity to support development until 2020,” Jacobsen said.
— A decision in October to increase the maximum grant available to downtown businesses looking to refurbish their facades from $5,000 to $100,000 is reaping its first benefits.
The Quality Inn on Cape Coral Parkway, which recently finished its renovation, received a $100,000 grant from the CRA.
Under the new program, businesses over 100 feet long are eligible for a $100,000 matching grant to renovate their facade, while those under 100 feet are eligible for a $50,000 matching grant.
The program was increased to provide more of an incentive for downtown businesses.
“A $5,000 grant on an outside of a building is hardly more than a paint job,” Jacobsen said.
Plan to incorporate golf course into CRA district nears fruition
Plans to bring The Golf Club golf course into the Cape Coral Redevelopment Agency are inching closer to becoming reality, as officials with the course’s current owner, Florida Gulf Ventures, and the Trust for Public Lands, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation of open spaces, are nearing an agreement to purchase the course.
“The Trust for Public Lands and Florida Gulf Ventures, they’ve agreed to everything in principle,” said John Jacobsen, executive director of the CRA.
According to Jacobsen, the two parties will agree on an appraiser and the parameters of the appraisal of the property.
As the golf course’s purchase is being negotiated, the CRA is looking to annex the surrounding land so it may buy the land from TPL.
The CRA must get the approval of the Cape Coral City Council and the Lee County Commission to annex the 180-acre course and surrounding homes into its boundaries.
City council members are scheduled to discuss the issue Monday. They could decide to move forward with a study to determine if the area is blighted and can be incorporated into the CRA.
According to city documents, the study is projected to cost $26,500 and should be completed by March 31.
In other news
— The master utility plan for the CRA is nearly complete. The plan is currently being reviewed by CRA staff before being submitted to CRA board members, and eventually to city council members for their approval.
Under the new plan, all utilities will be incorporated into one comprehensive plan, making it easier for developers to design plans that adhere to city codes.
“It takes six months off the cycle,” Jacobsen said of the time cut from the city’s red-tape-filled permitting process.
MWH developed the plan over nine months with input from the Lee County Electrical Cooperation, Comcast, Embarq and other utility companies.
George Joyce, MWH project manager, said streamlining the utility plan would make the downtown area more attractive to developers.
“It’s not piecemeal anymore. Now there’s a comprehensive plan,” Joyce said.
Another incentive the master plan carries for developers is drawing attention to the area’s large capacity.
“We have enough capacity to support development until 2020,” Jacobsen said.
— A decision in October to increase the maximum grant available to downtown businesses looking to refurbish their facades from $5,000 to $100,000 is reaping its first benefits.
The Quality Inn on Cape Coral Parkway, which recently finished its renovation, received a $100,000 grant from the CRA.
Under the new program, businesses over 100 feet long are eligible for a $100,000 matching grant to renovate their facade, while those under 100 feet are eligible for a $50,000 matching grant.
The program was increased to provide more of an incentive for downtown businesses.
“A $5,000 grant on an outside of a building is hardly more than a paint job,” Jacobsen said.
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