Cape Coral

Cape Coral, Florida 

On the Gulf of Mexico, in Florida's Lee County, is the city of Cape Coral. The city was established in 1957 and was built as a planned community. As of the 2020 Census, it had a population of 194,016 (up 26% from the 2010 Census), ranking it as the 130th most populous city in the country. Cape Coral is the most populous and largest city between Tampa and Miami, with an area of 120 square miles (310 km2). It is the largest and most important city in the Florida metropolitan statistical area that includes Cape Coral and Fort Myers. More than any other metropolis on earth, the city possesses more than 400 miles (640 km) of navigable waterways. 

The city has a total area of 120 square miles (310.8 km2), of which 110.09 square miles (285.1 km2) is land and 9.91 square miles (25.7 km2) is water (9%), according to the United States Census Bureau. Cape Coral is a sizable peninsula that is bounded by the Matlacha Pass in the west, the Caloosahatchee River in the south and east. To the east is Fort Myers, to the west is Matlacha and Pine Island, and to the east is the Caloosahatchee River. Both the Matlacha Pass Aquatic Preserve and the Matlacha Pass National Wildlife Refuge are located in Matlacha Pass. 

History 

The history of Cape Coral began in 1957 when Leonard and Jack Rosen, two brothers from Baltimore, Maryland, flew over Redfish Point, a peninsula across the Caloosahatchee River close to modern-day Fort Myers. The brothers, who were real estate entrepreneurs, paid $678,000 for a 103 square mile (270 km2) parcel with a small group of partners, and they started planning the city's construction in 1958. 

To develop the region, the Gulf American Land Corporation (GALC) was established. GALC created a marketing strategy that broke with conventional selling practices. Lee County gave its consent for the entire land to be divided up into lots. GALC created the land sales, dinner-party model, operating from banquet rooms in nearby hotels, as opposed to listing the lots with real estate agents. By providing a complimentary meal for two, attendees were encouraged to attend. A well-trained team might close agreements using the team-selling technique in under 90 minutes. The contract would require the buyers to visit the house within six months and cancel if they were dissatisfied. Italian real estate developer Ezio Valentini joined GALC and was appointed director of sales. Offices were established in 24 states as a result of the program's success, and a deal was reached with an airline to charter flights for buyers to travel to the property. 

The developers factored the sales contracts to cover the cost of constructing the infrastructure rather than taking out loans from banks and lenders. Streets were paved, homes and businesses were built, and canals were dug. Like no other Florida development, Cape Coral was heavily marketed. In order to promote the advantages of "the Cape," as it is known locally, celebrities were invited. The Rosens' sales office was the first structure constructed in Cape Coral. It was erected at Cape Coral and Coronado Parkways, where George's Auto presently stands. General Manager of the Rosens and the first permanent resident of Cape Coral was Kenny Schwartz. The first four houses at Cape Coral were finished in May 1958 and were located on Riverside and Flamingo Drives. 

The majority of the development took place on Redfish Point, south of Cape Coral Parkway, throughout the early 1960s. In 1963, there were 2,850 people living there, 1,300 structures had been completed or were in the process of being built, 80 miles (130 km) of roads had been constructed, and 160 miles (260 km) of canals had been dug. A golf course, medical facility, shopping complex, and public boat club were all operational. The construction of the 3,400-foot (1,000-meter) long Cape Coral Bridge over the Caloosahatchee River, which opened in early 1964, was a significant improvement for Cape Coral. Before to the bridge, it took more than 20 miles (32 km) to travel to Fort Myers by way of Del Prado Boulevard and the Edison Bridge in order to cross the water. 

The city was formed in August 1970, and up until the regional real estate recession that started in 2008, it had strong population growth. Cape Coral sustained significant damage on September 28, 2022, when Hurricane Ian hit the area. Climate 

The city has a climate that leans between tropical monsoon (Köppen climate classification: Am) and tropical savanna (Köppen climate classification: Aw). The region sees 145 days of annual precipitation and 355 days of annual sunlight on average. The winters of Cape Coral are dry with mild temperatures, in contrast to the extremely hot, muggy, and rainy summers. The majority of the city's annual rainfall—roughly 56 inches—occurs from June to September. The midday rains in the summer are heavy but fleeting. The yearly hurricane season, which officially starts on June 1 and lasts through November, has considerable impact on the city. 

Economy 

Health care services, retail, and real estate/construction make up Cape Coral's economy. The Cape Coral Economic Development Office encourages and supports corporate relocation. The Lee Memorial Hospital, Lee County School System, Publix Supermarkets, City of Cape Coral, and Walmart were the top five employers in the city in 2016. 

The hospital in Cape Coral offers acute care. Gulf Coast Medical Center in Fort Myers or Tampa offers trauma services. Veterans can now access a wide range of medical services thanks to the Lee County VA Healthcare Center, which opened on Diplomat Parkway in December 2012. Through the 2020s, Lee Health intends to increase its offering of medical services. By 2030, Lee Health hopes to have a new hospital up and running. At Cape Coral Hospital, Lee Health is increasing the ICU's capacity from 22 to 34 beds. In addition, Lee Health and Florida State University are working together to establish an internal medicine residency program at Cape Coral Hospital. As part of the Bimini Basin project close to Downtown Cape Coral, Lee Health will furthermore establish a new outpatient facility. The current outpatient center will also be expanded, according to other plans. 

Northeast Cape Coral's Del Prado Blvd. is home to a freestanding Emergency Department & Urgent Care facility operated by Bayfront Health, now known as Shorepoint. The year after that, HCA Florida inaugurated a 24-hour freestanding emergency room on Pine Island Road. 

A 40-Bed inpatient rehabilitation center with 40 beds was built by Encompass Health in 2022 at the intersection of Pondella Road and NE Pine Island Road. 

The council-manager form of governance is used by the city of Cape Coral. Members of the city council are chosen at-large from seven districts. The eighth member of the council and also an at-large elector is the mayor. Council meetings are presided over by the mayor. When Mayor Joe Coviello passed away on January 13, 2021, the City Council unanimously decided against holding a special election and instead chose to name a new mayor. John Gunter, a council member, was named mayor by a 6-1 vote of the City Council. Within the city, the City of Cape Coral offers fire and police protection. 

Education 

High performance standards have been consistently raised in Cape Coral's public and private education systems. The Lee County Board of Education, which runs the Lee County School System, includes Cape Coral in its purview. The Board of Education ran eight elementary, six middle, and five high schools in the Cape as of 2009. In Cape Coral, there are four public high schools: Cape Coral High School was constructed in the late 1970s, followed by Mariner High School in 1987, Ida S. Baker High School, named for one of Cape Coral High School's first principals, in 2004, and Island Coast High School, which debuted in the 2008–2009 academic year. Oasis Charter Schools, a municipal charter school network, was established in Cape Coral. The system comprises of Oasis Middle School, Oasis High School, and two primary schools. The Cambridge and Core Knowledge curricula are used at the charter schools. There is no tuition because the system is public. Children who reside in Cape Coral are the only ones who can attend the municipal charter schools. 

East of Cape Coral, in Fort Myers, is where Florida SouthWestern State College's main campus is situated. The college provides technical training in areas such allied health programs, computer networking & programming, business administration, paralegal, criminal justice, and fire science in addition to associate and bachelor's degrees. More than 16,000 students were enrolled in 2009 across four sites. Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU), one of Florida's newest state institutions, opened in neighboring Fort Myers in 1997 and presently enrolls more than 12,000 students. A satellite campus of FGCU has been built in Cape Coral, offering an expanding selection of core courses to Cape students. In addition to executive master's programs, a college of business, engineering, and biotechnology programs, the university offers undergraduate, graduate, and doctorate degrees. Hodges University, Southwest Florida College, and Rasmussen College are additional local colleges and institutions. 

A postsecondary educational facility run by the Lee County public school system is Cape Coral Technical College. It offers instruction in the fields of medicine, computing, and food science. Business and Industry Services of Lee County, which has a location in Cape Coral, offers employer-specific training both on- and off-site.