CRA approves commercial property improvement grants for downtown

The Fort Myers Community Redevelopment Agency approved two Commercial Property Improvement Matching Grants for the Downtown Redevelopment Area.

In December, the CRA announced that due to a high volume of applications, the 2023-‘24 funding cycle for the Downtown Redevelopment Area was closed. However, the Board of Commissioners approved another $500,000 to add to the Downtown CPI Matching Grant budget. With these two grants, $402,884,80 remains available for funding.

The first grant was approved for Jay Seidl, owner of The Naples International Film Company Warehouse, located on Monroe Street in the not-to-exceed amount of $8,475 to install Storm Shutters.

The second grant is for John Martin of Bradford Properties, LLC, located on First Street in the not-to-exceed amount of $53,043.18. The funds will be used to replace awnings, exterior lights, and an exterior door as well as repair damaged gutters, soffit, fascia and damages to the building portico.

The CRA Commercial Property Improvement Grant Program is a matching grant for commercial property owners and businesses within Fort Myers redevelopment areas. The maximum potential grant available for a project in Tier I is 75% of the total eligible expenditure, with a maximum award of $50,000. The Fort Myers CRA has offered commercial preservation incentives/ grant programs since 2010 and grant awards are based on the availability of funds.