CCCIA Executive Director Bill Johnson Jr. congratulates Annette Carrasquillo after she was awarded the Patti Schnell Hall of Fame Award at the CCCIA 50th anniversary celebration at La Venezia in Cape Coral on Friday. Chuck Ballaro

The Cape Coral Construction Industry Association has been the key advocate for one of the most important industries in the city, the home builders, Realtors and tradespeople who have made the city grow from a Rosen Brothers’ pipe dream to a city of 200,000 residents.

On Friday, CCCIA members and dignitaries gathered at the La Venezia Ballroom in downtown Cape Coral to celebrate its 50th anniversary, albeit a year late, with dinner and great (and not so great) memories.

“We didn’t get a chance to properly celebrate last year, so now that things are back to somewhat normal, we decided to wanted to properly celebrate the achievements of this organization,” said CCCIA Executive Director Bill Johnson Jr., who has served in the position since 2014.

The city’s growth and the CCCIA’s run parallel. There are currently 375 members of the organization.

Over the last 50 years, the CCCIA has withstood so much — numerous recessions, including a huge one in 2008; a pandemic; and, unbeknownst to many, very nearly going out of business.

It also has enjoyed some pretty amazing upswings, such as what we’re seeing now, which has made the CCCIA stronger than it’s ever been and looking forward to what the next 50 years has in store.

Anthony Greco, who joined in 1974, was there with his two sons. They all have been CCCIA presidents. Now 89, he has seen the growth of the city.

“Part of Del Prado was a dirt road. The Cape Coral Bridge was just two lanes and we met at the Cape Coral Country Club,” Anthony Sr. said.

“We had 180 members and it was very important to attend those meetings. That is how you learned what was going on,” Robert Greco said. “We believed in the fellowship and the community mindedness. It’s always given back.”

One of the highlights of the evening was hearing stories from the 15 past presidents in attendance, which gave a bit of a history lesson on the city and the organization.

Robert Greco, CCCIA president in 1989, remembered a true example of giving back when he first joined the CCCIA and then president Gary Spaniak, said he was going to build a home and donate it to MDA.

“Spaniak got everyone to donate whatever it took to build that house. It was built completely for free and they sold tickets for a dollar apiece all over the city,” Greco said. “A concrete truck was filled with tickets. We pulled the ticket and gave away the house.”

One of the painful memories was in the late 1990s, when Gary Aubuchon was president. The CCCIA was down to only two members and was on the brink of going defunct.

“There were two tables at the CCCIA dinner, and to me that was an insult to all the great leaders that came before us. The opposite of love is indifference and apathy, and that’s what we had in 1996,” Aubuchon said. “We had two paid members at the start of 1997 and were about to go under. We almost disbanded and became a subcommittee of the BIA, but we beat that down by one vote.”

It was then that the builders got together and made the group what it is today, a watchdog for the construction industry to let people know what’s happening in the city and state.

Jeff Gazlay, the current presidentwho has been a part of the CCCIA for 20 years, said now is an interesting time to be president.

“This industry is the best thing that has happened to the city. The growth of the city, the pandemic and the new permitting system the city has installed, a lot is going on in the industry,” Gazlay said.

Other highlights from the evening included a proclamation from Mayor John Gunter in honor of the CCCIA, and the awarding of the Patti Schnell Hall of Fame Award, the first since 2013, to Annette Carrasquillo. 

“It’s a complete shock. I love the organization. I’ve been a part of it since the 1980s and do what we need to do to promote our industry and work with the government. It’s a real honor,” Carrasquillo said. “We’re very resilient and have a lot of members and the old guard who care about it. When things get tough, we pull together and move on.”

Editor’s Note: We invite you back; photos will be posted as they are processed.