Army Reserve says Cape Coral preferred site for new Army Reserve Center
The City of Cape Coral was notified Thursday that the U.S. Army Reserve has designated a 15-acre site in northeast Cape Coral as the “Preferred Site” for a new Army Reserve Center.
In a letter to the city manager signed by the U.S. Army Reserve’s regional engineer at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, the Army has begun its due diligence with the intent of acquiring the property, an undeveloped lot on Corbett Road just north of Diplomat Parkway.
“This is great news,” said City Manager Gary King in a prepared statement released by the city Friday. “Our staff at Economic Development and the Department of Community Development worked as a team to make this happen, with help from Councilmember Bill Deile.”
In April, Deile, a retired U.S. Army Colonel, accompanied the Army’s site selection team and city staff as they visited several Cape Coral locations that met the Army’s size and logistical requirements, officials said.
The Preferred Site is across Corbett Road from the VA Medical Clinic, slated to open at the end of 2011. The Economic Development Office has focused on the VA Clinic as a catalyst for other commercial development including medical offices, a hotel and supporting retail services and restaurants.
“The Army Reserve Center is an excellent fit for this governmental/commercial complex,” said Christy Vogt, Cape Coral’s Business Development Coordinator in the prepared statement issued by the city. “We’re thrilled the Army is taking a serious look at what Cape Coral has to offer.”
The Center would include a 37,500-square-foot training building, a 7,650-square-foot vehicle maintenance shop, a 1,500-square-foot unheated storage facility and parking for approximately 300 U.S. Army Reserve personnel. It also would be the new home of the Fort Myers National Guard Unit now based in Fort Myers.
Source: City of Cape Coral