It has certainly been an interesting year for the downtown Community Redevelopment Agency.

Two months ago, Cape Coral Councilmember Chris Chulakes-Leetz proposed to dissolve the organization and put it in the auspices of the city council.

Now, under the guidance of new chairman Richard Greer, the CRA and the city have forged a partnership both sides hope will pave the way for significant downtown development, although one council member wants to really see some action instead of talk.

On Monday, during the city council workshop at city hall, Greer will give the “State of the CRA” address, where he will look back on its past successes and look forward to the future.

“It’s been a while since we did a ‘State of the CRA’ in front of council,” Greer said. “As partners we need to. We’ve done a lot in the past two years.”

Among the accomplishments Greer is expected to expound upon are the underground lines in downtown, the repaving of Cape Coral Parkway and the beach created at Four Freedoms Park.

“The underground lines haven’t been done in a CRA district anywhere statewide,” Greer said. “It (overhead lines) would have killed downtown.

“The CRA had a leadership role in repaving Cape Coral Parkway and on the beach at Four Freedoms,” Greer said. “We’re a waterfront community. It’s in our vision plan to focus on our strengths.”

Yet, in March, the city council mulled disbanding the CRA, effectively making the council the CRA.

Chulakes-Leetz said the CRA was living beyond its means since its funding, through the Tax Incremental Funds, began to dry up when the economy collapsed in 2008 and tax valuations went down.

The council and the CRA began to communicate with each other, and soon Chulakes-Leetz withdrew his motion.

However, Councilmember Kevin McGrail said the CRA’s sometimes troubled history still gives him some pause.

“Their problem has been money spent versus the return. It’s had a history of studying studies, paying for studies and not following through,” McGrail said. “When you move on to Plan B, C, D, E, F, and G, you feel disenfranchised.”

Greer hopes the partnership will move the CRA into the future, but agrees a lot of work needs to be done.

“How can we bring economic development downtown? That’s the key to our success,” Greer said. “Downtown is the heart of the city and when it thrives, the rest of the city benefits.”

Among Greer’s goals is to give Cape Coral a “place.” Something like Bourbon Street in New Orleans, for example.

“By creating a place, with commerce, people, dollars, do that and we become a substantial community,” Greer said. “We need something unique. We’re poised for great things, and I’m lucky this will happen on my watch.”

In a related matter, the city council also is expected to discuss the interlocal agreement between the city and the CRA concerning the underground lines built by LCEC in an amount not to exceed $4.5 million.

The city restructured its debt by eliminating commercial paper and financing the project with a bank loan. This requires a modification of the existing interlocal agreement.

McGrail said the plan will help the city lock into the lowest rates possible while it still can.

“With paper, you can’t put down a solid fiscal number. Here, we can budget better and lock everything into a low rate,” McGrail said.