Cape Harbour succeeding, while others are struggling
In an economic climate where a closed business could leave valuable retail space empty indefinitely, one Cape Coral development is experiencing no such obstacles.
According to Laura Straus, vice president of sales and development at Cape Harbour, the mixed-use development is down to a mere 100 square feet of available retail space.
The space was filled until recently by a former Realmark Development employee who had opened a florist shop in the space but decided running her own business wasn’t for her.
“After a year, she wanted to come back to Realmark and, of course, we were happy to have her,” she said.
Straus said she and Realmark founder Will Stout are now trying to find another florist to fill the vacancy and have narrowed the list down to three candidates.
“We do things a little differently,” she said. “We like to say we bet on the jockey and not the horse. We want people who are a good fit, not just a business to fill the space. We could have two people coming in and they both sell the same product or provide the same service, but we want to make sure that the person is going to fit in with what we have created here.”
Cape Harbour, she said, is based on the idea of accessibility and was developed to feel more like a neighborhood.
“That was Will’s (Stout) mission. No matter who you are, you can come here and have a good time,” Straus said. “The waterfront shouldn’t be private, it should be open to the public. You can come here and just hang out or buy a multi-million dollar house with a boat and eat dinner in the restaurant every night. Either way, we just want everyone to feel welcome.”
Straus said Cape Harbour hosts several events throughout the year that are open to the public as well as some private events, but always makes sure to respect Cape Harbour’s homeowners.
“When they move in, they know there is a certain energy here. It’s not going to be the same as living in a private, gated community, and that’s part of the appeal,” she said.
Be it energy, ergonomics or basic economics, something in the Cape Harbour formula is perpetuating the development’s continued success as the mix of restaurants, bars, boat dealers and other merchants continue to thrive.
“We’re just quietly succeeding in our little southeast corner of the Cape. If you talk to the big shops in the front, they are doing very well, but the small boutiques are also doing well and are wanting to renew the leases or even expand,” Straus said.
She attributes that success to a people-friendly atmosphere that encourages people to come back.
“We want people to have a positive experience and say, ‘Wow, I want to come back.'”