City Receives Over $44 Million in Disaster Recovery Grants for Public Facility, Infrastructure, Planning Projects

September 4, 2024

The City of Cape Coral is pleased to announce the award of over $44 million in grants from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Community Development Block Grant - Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) program. These funds, allocated to support long-term recovery efforts in the wake of Hurricane Ian, will be used for several key public facility and infrastructure projects in Cape Coral.

The projects awarded grant funding were unanimously recommended by the Public Facilities and Critical Infrastructure Evaluation Committee:

• Community Recreation Center and Disaster Shelter-$29.9 million: This new facility, to be located in North Cape Coral, will serve as a community recreation center offering after-school care, day camps, behavioral and mental health services, therapeutic activities for individuals with disabilities, adult education and vocational training and other programs during normal operations. In the event of an emergency, it will transition into a disaster shelter, providing a safe haven for residents. Following an emergency, the center will operate as a "resilience hub," supporting recovery efforts in the community.
• Weir Rehabilitation Upgrade or Replacement Project-$10.8 million: Funding will be used to replace and upgrade existing weirs throughout the city. These structures are essential for flood control and will help increase the city's stormwater management capacity, reducing the risk of flooding in vulnerable areas.
• Planning Initiatives-$4 million:The funds will also support recovery and resilience continuity planning, business community resilience planning, and emergency communications planning, which are crucial for enhancing Cape Coral's preparedness and response strategies for future disasters.

Hurricane Ian struck Lee County on September 28, 2022, resulting in extensive damage and severely affecting the region's infrastructure. In early 2023, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) responded by allocating $1.1 billion in CDBG-DR funds to support long-term recovery efforts in Lee County.

CDBG-DR funds can be used for a limited number of eligible activities related to the impacts of Hurricane Ian, including housing, infrastructure, economic revitalization, public services, and planning. At least 70% of the grant funds must be directed toward projects that benefit Low-to-Moderate Income households, defined by HUD as families earning at or below 80% of the Area Median Income.

"We are grateful for the opportunity to use these grant funds to improve our city's infrastructure and resilience," said Ryan Lamb, Emergency Management Director. "These projects will not only enhance our community's ability to recover from future disasters but also provide valuable resources for our residents in their everyday lives. This is once-in-a-generation funding, and these projects will have a generational impact on our city."

The grant funding will need to go before City Council for award acceptance. For more information about the CDBG-DR grant program and Cape Coral's recovery projects, click here.