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WHAT IS THE CRA?
Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) is a public entity created by a local government to implement the community redevelopment activities outlined under the Community Redevelopment Act which was enacted in 1969 (Chapter 163, Part III, Florida Statutes). The Cape Coral CRA was established in 1986 and currently has a City Council appointed board of seven commissioners that govern the Downtown CRA. It's CRA Executive Director is John Jacobsen.
The CRA has recently hired a new planner to update the current CRA plan which was established in 2003 and now appears to be out of touch with the realities of the current market. The new plan is expected to be unveiled towards the end of 2010.
WHERE IS THE CRA?
The Cape Coral Community Redevelopment Area is the area surrounding Cape Coral Parkway starting at the foot of the Cape Coral Bridge and ending at Bimini Basin West. It includes sections of Del Prado, a golf course, Four Freedoms Park, and streets just north and south of the cape Coral Pkwy.
THE CRA IS CAPE CORAL'S DOWNTOWN
The CRA area is made up of a wonderful mix of shops, restaurants, clubs, and professional offices. On saturdays it features a farmers, market and many weekends offer events such as Bike night, Cinco De Mayo, the Arts festival, The best martini competition (my personal favorite), the cardboard boat races, and much, much more.
You can find a list of many of the businesses under my favorite links but here are my top 5.
Brewbabies-a very special place for dinner, drinks and music!
The Twisted Conch-great seafood and drinks!
The Pearl Lounge-Cape's one-of-a-kind night club
Leaping Lizzard-Great mexican
Paesano's Deli and restaurant-a real Italian market!!!
CRA EVENTS
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Cape Coral Festival of the Arts
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South Cape Street Markets
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Farmer's Markets
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Best South Cape Martini Competition
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Celebrate Cape Coral
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Cinco De Mayo
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Mothers' Day Weekend Flower Walk
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Red, White and Brew
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Bike Nites
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Red, White and Boom
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International Beer and Food Tasting
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Columbus Day Parade and Italian Food Fest
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Four Paws For The Cause
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Downtown Wine and Food Tasting
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Holiday Festival of Lights
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InternationalnHoliday Market
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Holiday Boat-a-Long
CAPE CORAL'S CRA AND TAX INCREMENT FINANCING
The Cape Coral Community Redevelopment Agency has the administrative ability to allocate tax increment financing and is considered a semi/quasi public organization. The purpose and intent of the CRA District is to provide a means to enable mixed use urban, compact, densely developed, pedestrian oriented development and redevelopment that is consistent with the City's Community Redevelopment Plan and Comprehensive Plan.
The CRA was established to facilitate a means to improve the physical, economic, social and cultural character of Downtown Cape Coral. The ultimate goals of the district are to maintain and further develop the Downtown as a focal point of the community and to maintain a setting whereby services necessary for people to live, work, shop and be entertained without leaving the district can be provided. These goals are to be accomplished by encouraging commercial and medium to high density residential mixed-use projects. Design standards and guidelines intended to preserve, enhance, and further develop the Downtown’s distinctive physical attributes will also be adopted. In order to meet these ends, the following goals and objectives for the Community Redevelopment Agency:
- Promote the CRA as a focal point of the community by providing for a wide variety of office, business, retail, public and cultural activities.
- Provide for the development of housing that is compatible with development in areas of similar intensity.
- Promote the efficient use of the land used for such development.
- Provide for the conduct of certain specified activities outside of enclosed buildings.
- Promote the integration of pedestrian traffic with vehicular traffic.
- Provide for the implementation of design standards and guidelines to promote development and redevelopment that is sensitive to architectural resources and quality design, preserves visual quality, enhances visual unity and accommodates pedestrians.
- Encourage a continuous urban façade along streets, sidewalks and pedestrian ways to maintain a strong urban character.
The CRA sponsors many projects Downtown including working with private and public property owners to improve the physical appearance of the district and revitalize the Downtown area. The CRA was instrumental in the development of the streetscape on Cape Coral Parkway that included the landscaping, decorative streetlights, brick sidewalks, street furniture and drainage improvements. The CRA has sponsored the decorative banners on the street lamps that define the downtown area, and the intermodal transfer station that boasts a four-faced landmark clock on the corner of SE 47th Terrace and SE 8th Court. Numerous grants have been awarded by the CRA to improve and renovate downtown buildings and, consequently, improve property values. The CRA has assisted community groups through sponsorship of many special events such as the Rotary Club's Festival of Arts, The Chamber of Commerce's Festival of Lights, Downtown block parties, and many other events that bring thousands of people to Downtown, giving it vitality and new energy.
There are over 1,000 businesses with over 3500 employees operating in Downtown Cape Coral. This makes Downtown a significant employer, an important contributor to the tax base, and a powerful economic engine in the community.
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