Cape Coral's nearly $2.4M road project sparks parking concerns for businesses

CAPE CORAL, Fla. (WINK)—Cape Coral Parkway from Triton Court to Del Prado Boulevard could be expanding to six lanes for nearly $2.4 million.

"I picked the vibe of Cape Coral in this darling little downtown district that we have, I really hate to see a six-lane really fast highway going up and down,” said Debbie Wilson, a Cape Coral homeowner.

For the project, the city says the parking and turn lanes on the sides of the road would go away. Some restaurants have patios on the sidewalk, and Frank Kelly, the owner of BARunch, says that protective barrier will be gone.

“I’m gonna feel a little less safe because now you don't have a buffer between the moving traffic and people sitting on the sidewalk," Kelly said.

Kelly says the parking lot behind his business is always packed full during the busy season, but the city says they are working on adding more than 300 new parking spaces to the South Cape area with projects like the Bimini Square and the Cove parking garages.

"If it's seven or eight blocks away, you know, people just don't walk that far. It doesn't matter what the statistics say," Kelly said.

Bob Lanzieri, the owner of John Michaels Jewelry next door, says he thinks his business will take a hit.

"Where do you put these people? So, as a small business owner here in town. Now my clients are going to come here, and they're going to say to me, 'Bob, I can't come because there's no parking,'" Lanzieri said.

The city says the project could break ground in the coming months.