Cape Coral approves $500M Bimini East redevelopment near downtown

CAPE CORAL, Fla. (WINK)—The City of Cape Coral has agreed to move forward with a proposal to redevelop 33 acres next to Bimini Square.

A developer's agreement will now be drafted for the Bimini East project and will need city approval at a future meeting. The $500 million proposal by Crown Development includes hotels, medical offices, apartments, entertainment, and community areas.

The project is designed to bring new life to downtown Cape Coral and create an area for families who live in and visit the city. Crown Development proposes half a billion dollars in private investments on city land.

Bonnie Schaufel, who lives in Cape Coral, was excited to hear that more retail, including restaurants, could be coming to the area.

"There should be for the young families because they need more. I mean, when I moved here, my daughter was only one, and there was nothing, and so now, yeah, I think it's great for the kids," Schaufel said. "You know, it's a growing city. You know, let it grow."

Schaufel also shared what she'd like to see added to the area.

"They need a hot dog place for sure, and we could really use a White Castle," Schaufel said.

With the population growing, people WINK News spoke to were excited for more to do within the city limits. Bella Martinez, who lives in Cape Coral, said the city needs more options for families.

"If Cape Coral had more restaurants, we're a boating family, so anything that's on the water that people have more space to enjoy," Martinez said.

The development would bring boat slips and a waterfront bandshell to the area. Four Freedoms Park is within the redevelopment area, but the city says it will stay a public park.

"I think that's great to have in the area a place where it's safe for kids to come, hang out, play," Martinez said. "Also, it's a place for me to enjoy my dogs and be in a safe area."

The city has purchased more than 40 parcels, investing more than $43 million in land purchases and demolitions to prepare the sites for redevelopment. Martinez said after moving away for three years and now coming home, she realized just how much the city has grown.

"There's lots of people that are relocating here, stay-at-home moms who don't have places to go around in the area, and I know a lot of stay-at-home moms or families will come and utilize those park areas that we have," Martinez said.

However, not everyone was entirely supportive of the growth.

"We're going to need more bridges, and we're going to need to widen some streets," Schaufel said. "You know, because there's the traffic right now is terrible."

Neighbors WINK News spoke to were split, supporting the project and being concerned about bringing more to the area. Off camera, neighbors expressed concerns about whether the current infrastructure could handle the growth and how the park would be redesigned.