Developers share vision for Seven Islands
Developers of what will become the Gulf Gateway Resort & Marina Village are gearing up for site work to begin for Seven Islands.
The $1 billion multi-use project green-lighted by the Cape Coral City Council this week after years of planning will feature condominiums, apartments, hotel, marina, resort lagoon, restaurants, retail and an entire island for public use including a community center, splash pad, kayak launch, outdoor spaces and a hip food truck park.
With Council’s approval of the development agreement on Wednesday, the 47-acre property at 606 Old Burnt Store Road North and 106/200 Old Burnt Store Road North will close on Feb. 11, paving the way to permitting.
The developer hopes to commence the civil construction phase this fall.
“Within nine months (we will) submit for the civil engineering permit,” said Sam Bauer, Forest Development senior vice president of development.
The permitting process for the seawall with the Department of Environmental Protection and Army Corps of Engineers began in May 2023. The permitting process with the Army Corps involved the city, as the property was still in its hands.
Once the permits are received, construction of the seawalls can begin.
“The first vertical construction we will be working on is the Community Center. Island Seven is basically a big park on steroids,” Bauer said.
The community center will be at least 16,500 square feet and have associated parking, according to the agreement.
The city will have the ability to rent the community center out to groups, local neighborhoods and individuals to host a variety of events, including weddings.
According to the agreement, “the developer shall lease a portion of the community center and other components of the amenities site to the city.”
In addition, the island will have an amphitheater, dog park, splash pad, food truck and bar. Bauer said the community center will have a restaurant above the public open space.
The project will also include a marina. It will include 39 vessel slips, pilings, seawall and bulkhead and approximately 2,106 square foot dockmaster building. Of that, 1,053 square feet must be open to the public and used for marine retail sales and services, according to the agreement. There will also be at least two fuel pumps with gas and diesel fuel for purchase, and electric shore power, water, and pump-out facility to serve those vessels docked at the marina.
The new concept for the marina, including a fueling station, includes an environmental aspect similar to what is at Tarpon Point.
“The docks are outward to the mangroves and cut throughs,” Bauer said. “The docks will be on the western edge of the mangroves as opposed to removing the mangroves and just having a seawall Our seawall will be upland.”
Forest Development Managing Partner Peter Baytarian said with the docks meandering around the mangroves it will minimize damage and help with fish and wildlife stabilization.
Island six will include a hotel. Bauer said they see it in the neighborhood of 300 rooms.
“We haven’t fully completed the hotel architecture yet,” he said.
According to the agreement the hotel will be 10 stories and have no fewer than 70 parking spaces available to the general public, which is in addition to the minimum required hotel parking. There will also be no less than 19,000 square feet of meeting space.
The hotel can be used as an emergency operation center and a place for displaced citizens whose homes are damaged as a result of a storm, Bauer said.
Baytarian said there will also be a lagoon pool and luxury gym.
“The lagoon pool and the gym will be available to the residents by membership or some sort of use,” he said.
A bridge will connect island seven to island six making the two spaces easily accessible.
“We want to really encourage golf cart traffic, arrival by boat, by bike and of course walking.
“Anything that would serve as a reduction in traffic we are encouraging,” Bauer said.
Baytarian said the project is an accumulation of many years of hard work, adding there was collaboration to get a feel of what to do to make the project better without upsetting the neighbors.
The question was gaining support while minimizing the damage to the environment, Baytarian said.
“This process expands over a decade,” Bauer said. “It started with the city getting involved with the neighborhood group and asking them what do you want, what would you like to see.”
The city acquired the property through a bankruptcy sale during the real estate collapse that included multiple other parcels as well.
“We have been involved for a few years. The plan, the intensity and density had all been established,” Bauer said. “We agreed with what was proposed and we got involved with the neighborhood and designed the plan as you see it today.”