Guest Commentary | Happy New Year, Cape Coral!
As we reflect on a remarkable year in Cape Coral, I am proud to highlight the accomplishments of 2024 and share an exciting vision for our future as we step into 2025.
In 2024, we made significant strides in shaping Cape Coral’s infrastructure, investing nearly $450 million to enhance our city’s foundation. This investment is part of a larger commitment to our city’s future, with over $2 billion dedicated to infrastructure improvements from 2020 to 2030. Some of this investment includes resurfacing of 122 lane miles of roads, replacing more than 9,000 traffic signs and maintaining 545 miles of stormwater drainage pipes, 24,177 catch basins, 997 miles of water distribution lines, and providing 1,846 new sewer service connections. More than 5 billion gallons of potable water was produced in 2024 and more than 6 billion gallons of reuse water was distributed for irrigation purposes.
Our city also saw the groundbreaking of three new parks — Festival Park, Crystal Lake Park, and Tropicana Park — further expanding recreational opportunities for our growing community. Additionally, we celebrated the opening of the new Lake Kennedy Racquet Center, which promises to be a hub for fitness and recreation.
Cape Coral continues to lead in resilience and safety. We maintained our 25% Community Rating System discount on flood insurance premiums, meeting FEMA’s stringent floodplain regulation requirements. Public safety has remained a top priority, with over 200,000 calls for service responded to by our 274 firefighters and 320 police officers. To better serve our residents, we opened Fire Station No. 13 in northeast Cape Coral.
In total, the city issued 41,796 building permits, including 2,996 single-family home permits, with an assessed value exceeding $1.19 billion. Staff investigated 23,809 code compliance cases. Our community continues to grow and thrive.
Education remains a cornerstone of our city’s success, and in 2024, we celebrated the achievements of our Oasis Charter Schools, all of which earned “A” grades, with Oasis High School reaching a 100% graduation rate. This reflects the strength of our educational system and the dedication of our students and staff.
The City was also recognized with a prestigious Triple Crown Award for excellence in financial reporting by the Government Finance Officers Association. This recognition highlights our commitment to transparency and fiscal responsibility, ensuring that every dollar spent is an investment in our future.
Looking ahead to 2025, there are several exciting projects on the horizon. We are moving forward with the design of a new community center at Yacht Club Community Park, with the design to be completed later in 2025. Alongside this, the design for marine improvements at the park, including the seawall, boat ramp, and marina, has been completed, and construction will begin once the necessary permits are obtained. Our new Police and Fire Training facilities will open this year, further enhancing public safety services. The design and permitting for Fire Station No. 10/North Cape Public Safety Complex are also underway.
Our city’s growth is guided by the new Economic Development Master Plan, which will be implemented in 2025. This plan provides a clear roadmap for our city’s economic future, focusing on creating jobs, fostering innovation, and ensuring that Cape Coral remains a great place to live and work. As Cape Coral grows from its current population of over 200,000 to almost 400,000 at buildout, we will continue to prioritize public safety, infrastructure, and sustainable growth. Sidewalk expansion is also planned for areas around schools. Planning for the future of the Old Golf Course property that was recently acquired by the City also will take place in the new year.
In addition, we are introducing school zone speed cameras in 16 school zones across the city to further ensure the safety of our children as they travel to and from school.
Finally, I encourage everyone to participate in the upcoming budget workshops in January. These workshops will provide an opportunity for residents to contribute their input as we plan for Cape Coral’s continued growth and success. We will focus on critical areas such as infrastructure, transportation, and beautification to ensure responsible development and maintain our high standards of public safety.
As we look to the future, let us move forward together — united by the strength of our community and the promise of a brighter tomorrow. Here’s to a year of continued progress, connection, and shared success in Cape Coral.
John Gunter is the mayor of the city of Cape Coral. This column first published in the January edition of the city of Cape Coral’s newsletter, Cape Connect.