More than half of Cape Coral skilled workers commute outside city for jobs

CAPE CORAL, Fla. (WINK)—Cape Coral residents are divided on whether the city should attract bigger employers.

At Big John's Plaza, a popular shopping center in South Cape, shoppers shared mixed feelings about the idea. Some worry about the potential downsides of larger companies moving in.

"Bigger employers would mean a lot more traffic," said Suzanne Hebert, a Cape Coral resident. "It depends on what it is. If it's something that's going to generate, like smog or toxic waste, no."

Others see it as an opportunity for younger residents to build careers without leaving the city.

"I'd love to see that the young people have an opportunity to stay here in Cape Coral and continue to make it the great city that we really have," said Debbie Wilson, a Cape Coral resident.

According to city data, 57% of all skilled workers travel out of Cape Coral for work. Many commuters cross the bridge daily, paying tolls to reach jobs in other parts of Southwest Florida.

"We need to bring more business and industry to Cape Coral to keep our residents here, and you know, they're paying $2 to come across every day," said Kevin Johnson, a Cape Coral resident. "Cape Coral could benefit from bigger businesses."

The city says the largest employers are the Lee County School District, Lee Health, and the City of Cape Coral. The city has a Breaking Barriers to Business Program that provides grants to businesses and developers looking to renovate or expand facilities in parts of South Cape Coral.

Most residents interviewed said that infrastructure improvements, particularly roadways, should be addressed before attracting larger employers.

"The infrastructure needs to keep up with it, with the growth of the population, or we're going to end up in a big mess, a bigger mess than we kind of already are with some areas that get flooding and the roads and the traffic and stuff like that," Johnson said.

Healthcare, construction, and retail currently make up most of the workforce in Cape Coral. Click here to find out more about the incentives the City of Cape Coral offers to business owners.