Old 41 property owners wait to see Bonita council's vision

A quarter of a million dollars is budgeted to help property owners on Old 41 clean up their facade, but many say they are waiting to see what the city decides to do with redevelopment.

In the 2004-2005 fiscal year the Bonita Springs City Council set aside $200,000 for Storefront Grants, as part of the Old 41 Redevelopment Master Plan. As of June 2006, the money hasn't been touched, and the program is on hold.

John Gucciardo, special projects coordinator for the city, said the original concept entailed making funds available to property owners who wanted to upgrade the appearance of their storefronts on Old 41.

Gucciardo took over for Ken Hoffman, community projects coordinator, when he retired in February. According to Gucciardo, when he started in March 2006, city manager Gary Price asked him to jump-start the facade grant program again.

Nine property owners came forward in the beginning with an interest in taking advantage of the free money, but some have expressed an intent to wait on the grant funding until they have a better picture of what the new city council has in mind for the Bamboo Village site, and other redevelopment projects on Old 41.

Lingering questions such as whether the grants would get paid to property owners on a reimbursement schedule, or whether the city would provide a 50/50 split, and whether there was a need for a special board to reside over the grant giving, put the program on hold, also.

"The program itself was never really defined," Gucciardo said.

To add to the confusion, two other factors came into play, according to Gucciardo, centered around the election of three new city council members.

"We as staff can't assume that the new council would want to do the same programs," Gucciardo said.

In addition, he added, new council members might have their own ideas about redevelopment, which he said caused some property owners' reluctance to go forward with their plans without knowing what will happen with the redevelopment of Old 41.

"It kind of seemed to make sense to take a deep breath and get a fee for what the long range plans are," Gucciardo said.

Photo by LIANE EDIXON, Banner

Chip Greenwood, owner of Buffalo Chips, plays a guitar while discussing his desire for Storefront Grants for property owners on Old 41, regardless of city redevelopment plans. Other property owners are playing the "wait and see" game.

Jose Romero, owner of Maria's Restaurant on Old 41, said he is waiting to see what is going to happen to the Bamboo Village site. Depending on how good the project looks, and how it will impact his business will effect his decision to move forward. According to Romero, his business has trouble with homeless people and drug addicts, and some of the plans the city might come up with could only mask the problem, instead of help it. He also felt some of the requirements for the grant were too stringent because they wanted everyone to have similar facades.

"I'm going to wait," Romero said.

New council member Richard Ferreira said businesses on Old 41 are being counterproductive if they are waiting for the city to make a decision on Imperial Landing, an upscale mixed use residential and retail development on the Bamboo Village site. Ferreira added that he likes the Storefront Grants program.

"It seems to me, that if you have an interest in your community, don't wait until the city decides on one special project," Ferreira said. "They have a direct responsibility to fix up their area."

Chip Greenwood, who owns Buffalo Chips and the Ranch House Motel, said regardless of what happens with the redevelopment project on Old 41, he's hoping to take advantage of Storefront Grants to rebuild a cottage that blew away during Hurricane Wilma and to fix up the front of his restaurant, which he and his father, Al Greenwood Sr., have owned for 24 years.

In the early 1990s, when Old 41 had a community redevelopment agency through Lee County, Greenwood used a similar grant program to complete some remodeling projects.

"We were the first ones to put money into this blighted area," Greenwood said. "Still, to me, this is the heart of Bonita Springs."

Regardless of what happens with the redevelopment, although Greenwood said he is all for it, he's not going anywhere. In fact, he said if he had more time, he would try and get involved with a community redevelopment agency if another one was formed through the city.

Photo by LIANE EDIXON, Banner

Chip Greenwood wants to use Storefront Grant money to extend his front awning out to provide shade, and enclose his front patio with wrought iron gates and fencing at Buffalo Chips.

Greenwood wants to make his restaurant more appealing, but he wants to keep the quaint feel that is Bonita. He has ideas such as extending the awning out in the front of Buffalo Chips to provide more shade to patrons, and putting in some wrought iron fencing to encourage pedestrian traffic to stay on the sidewalk, and not walk through his outside seating area, while keeping a charming, fishing village feel.

But, with a slight raise in property taxes, and a new employer-paid insurance benefit Greenwood has extended his employees at the restaurant, the cost of the revamp he'd like to see done will be impossible without city-matched funds.

"We're all for it," Greenwood said. "We'd like to have everyone in between look nice, too," Greenwood said of neighboring businesses on Old 41.

Estero Association of Realtors and Kenpo Karate at 27313 Old 41 expressed an interest to the city, according to records, but their interest, like Romero's, is contingent on the city's plans for redevelopment.

Ferreira said the conception that the city isn't putting money into redevelopment is false, because they have increased the Lee County sheriff's presence downtown, which should help deter crime.

"We expect the neighbors in that area to participate, as well," Ferreira said.

Gucciardo, in a memo to the city manager, suggested resolving the issues of the Storefront Grants at tonight's council workshop, which will be focused mainly on redevelopment.

"We're hoping at Wednesday's workshop to get a little input from city council," Gucciardo said.

Greenwood, who is staying no matter what, said: "I just hope some people show up and give some public support for it."

The City Council will meet for a special workshop at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 28, at City Hall.