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Right now Cape Coral is approaching its largest growth rate in its history

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The City of Cape Coral continues to be one of the fastest growing cities in the country according to the U.S. Census Bureau.  The Cape grew at a 5.8 percent clip in the 12-month period ending July 1, 2003.  This places Cape Coral at No. 5 for cities with more than 100,000 people and at No. 10 regardless of population.  Port St. Lucie was the only other Florida city on the list. 

Last year, Cape Coral was the 9th fastest growing city, and officials had expected the city to remain in the Top 10 again this year. 

"We know how many building permits we issued last year, and we know how many building permits we are issuing this year," said City Manager Terry Stewart.  "We expect Cape Coral to remain on everyone's radar screen for the next few years."

Cape Coral grew to 118,737 people by July 1, 2003.  The City estimates that the current population is more than 131,000 residents, and the City is on pace to issue more than 5,000 single-family home permits this year. 

Growth heads north

New developments ready to handle nticipated boom

By CHARLES RUNNELLS
 Published by on July 13, 2004

Developers see northern Cape Coral as the next frontier for the city’s explosive growth, and several housing projects are banking on that idea.

At the moment, three projects are in various stages of development near the end of the Del Prado Boulevard extension.

And the largest planned development in the Cape’s history — the Sandoval project — recently started clearing land near Royal Tee Golf Course, south of Pine Island Road. 
All those homes — 3,895 in all — will spark all kinds of growth along Pine Island Road and everything north of it, said Mike Quaintance, president of the Cape Coral Chamber of Commerce.

“We’re going to start seeing some really spectacular things,” Quaintance said. “It’s going to take off.”

That means even more houses, and even more stores and restaurants along Pine Island Road, Burnt Store Road, the Del Prado extension and other parts of northern Cape Coral.

“Development breeds more development,” Quaintance said. “It changes people’s perception of an area.” 
In March, Cape Coral City Council unanimously approved the 524-acre Sandoval project.

The Bonita Bay Group has big plans for the land just off the Veterans Parkway extension in western Cape Coral. 
The project includes 1,081 single-family homes, 488 condominiums, 320,000 square feet of retail and office space, 2.3 miles of linear parks and 60 acres of natural preserve.

Developers are planning to dig 20 man-made lakes to provide water views for the single-family homes, which range in cost from $150,000 to $300,000 and more. 
Workers recently started clearing trees and installing drainage work, and the company hopes to finish the first phase — 575 units — by early next year, said Kitty Green, Sandoval’s general manager.

A sales office will likely open this fall, Green said. About 100 people have already expressed interest in buying.

Near the northeast corner of the city close to the Del Prado extension are three housing development projects all waiting to begin construction.

Kevin Vance, sales manager for Concordia Development, sees that particular area booming with growth in the coming years. 
In addition to the three housing developments, there will be the 171-acre academic village planned for the northwest corner of Del Prado Boulevard and Kismet Parkway.

“That’s a high-growth area, and we’re very excited about it,” Vance said. “I really think it’s going to do well.”

Concordia plans to build 340 homes in the northeastern corner of Kismet Parkway and Del Prado Boulevard. They’ve taken about 62 reservations so far, and a sales trailer is expected to open on the site within weeks. The land could start being cleared within 30 to 45 days, Vance said. Concordia’s houses will sell for $130,000 to the low $200,000s, and they should start appearing in early 2005.

About a mile up the Del Prado Boulevard extension, Coral Lakes will be a 370-acre gated community with a 4.5-acre community park. 
The temporary sales center for the development opened in April. Since then, 295 owners have signed contracts, said Maryann Crowell, director of sales and marketing for builders Transeastern Homes. The community will have 774 homes, a clubhouse, community pool and a recreation park with basketball courts, soccer fields and tennis courts. 
The houses will start at $175,000 and go to $280,000. The developers are waiting on permits right now, but construction could begin within weeks, Crowell said.

Finally, developer Will Stout’s 700-acre Entrada project is expected to add another 1,700 homes to the area surrounding the city’s entrance sign at the North Fort Myers border. 
Homes in the development will cost between $140,000 and $400,000, and they’ll be designed to take advantage of the natural wetlands and the adjacent 400-acre nature preserve. 
The target market is young professionals and retired baby boomers, Stout has said. 
The developers are in the process of getting city permits, said Craig Deardon of Stout’s Realmark Group. They hope to break ground in early 2005. 
All the phases could be finished within four years, Deardon said.

Entrada and all these other projects are expected to boost the Cape’s growth and usher in the next stage of the city’s development, said the chamber’s Quaintance. 
“This is important to the community,” he said. “You have to have a work force and somewhere for them to live, and that brings more dollars into the community.

“It’s exciting to see how much Cape Coral is changing.”

Copyright 2005 Del Prado Realty, L.L.C.   

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