Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Economic Development topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
CRA approves suite of storm-mitigation and property-improvement grants for downtown and corridor
Summary
The Fort Myers CRA unanimously approved a set of storm-mitigation, commercial and residential matching grants totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars, including a $47,500 award for a new downtown restaurant, officials said. The board moved each recommendation by unanimous consent.
The Fort Myers Community Redevelopment Agency Board of Commissioners on Tuesday approved a package of grants intended to bolster downtown resiliency and spur property improvements across Cleveland Avenue and MLK Boulevard.
The board recommended a storm-mitigation grant of $47,500 for Turco Tacos — a new restaurant at Royal Palm and 1st Street — to fund flood panels, backup battery protection for point-of-sale systems and other resilience measures. Rebecca Ostark, representing the applicant, told the board the business has flood panels and plans to add systems to keep operations running during severe weather.
Staff also presented eight commercial property improvement matching-grant applications from MLK and Cleveland corridors. Examples outlined by staff included a $41,013.83 request for signage and façade work at 5001 Dr. MLK Boulevard (IMAD North America Auto Parts) and grant requests ranging from roughly $45,000 to $200,000 for multi-tenant commercial properties and hotels on South Cleveland Avenue. A separately presented residential matching grant for 1847 South Markley Court was recommended at $16,244.17.
Board motions were recorded as offered and seconded in the meeting record (the Turco Tacos motion was offered by Mr. Doyle and seconded by Mr. Coleman) and each item was approved by unanimous consent, according to the CRA’s recording secretary.
Why it matters: CRA matching and mitigation grants are designed to help small businesses and property owners reduce storm damage, invest in building exteriors and landscaping, and attract visitors and customers to downtown corridors. Staff told the board the commercial program has drawn strong interest this quarter and could finance nearly $1.5 million in private investment with the proposed awards.
What’s next: Staff said the grant cycles will remain open while funds are available and that the next application window opens for the upcoming quarter; applicants must meet program requirements and, for residential grants, show proof of initial payment under the pilot rules.
Votes at a glance: The meeting record shows each recommended grant was passed by unanimous consent; the CRA asked the recording secretary to note each recommendation and moved the items forward for implementation.
