NW Cape UEP Project Brings Sustainable Development Goals

UEP Progress in 2022 by the City of Cape Coral

This past year saw the City of Cape Coral make considerable progress of the Utility Expansion Program (UEP).  Unfortunately, Hurricane Ian has slowed progress and the UEP has taken a backseat to repairing other critical infrastructure needs within the City.  Rest assured, the project is moving forward. 

Work recently completed to date includes the following:

• Completion of punch-list items related to the construction of utilities in North 2.
• Completion of the design and award of construction projects for about half of the North 1 area.
• Completion and acceptance of the overall City-wide UEP Master Plan.
• Nearing award of a design contract for North 3.

A map detailing the utility areas and anticipated service dates, as presented in the Master Plan, is as follows:

Each of the above-completed tasks is discussed briefly below. 

Completion of North 2

While there are still some minor items to be repaired, the installation of utilities in North 2 was essentially completed in 2022. Water, sewer, and reclaimed water lines were brought to all residential and commercial properties within North 2.  Roads have been reconstructed, landscaping repaired, and currently, there has been a good response from homeowners required to hook up to the new utilities.  For practical purposes, we are calling North 2 complete.

Completion of Design and Award of Construction for About Half of North 1

The City used much of what was learned in the design and construction of North 2 and incorporated pertinent items into the design of North 1.  North 1 will be broken into 11 different construction contracts, all of which will be considerably smaller than those of North 2.  North 1 east will have 5 construction contracts and North 1 west will have 6.  The 6 construction contracts of North 1 west have been bid and the total construction cost for the area is approximately $203 million.  Construction of the 5 contracts in North 1 east will be bid and commence in late 2023 or early 2024.

The City will use the same methodology to assess UEP costs to homeowners as has been previously used.  Unfortunately, due to current economic conditions in southern Florida and across the country, the assessment cost to the typical homeowner in the North 1 west area will average approximately $33,500.  While this amount may seem very high, it is in line with other area costs when adjusted to 2023 dollars.  Also, all homeowners will have the option of paying the assessment in a single lump sum or paying it off over 20, 25 or 30 years.

Please keep in mind that North 1 is completely in the NE section of Cape Coral.

UEP Master Plan

The UEP Master Plan is necessary to prioritize future areas for utility expansion, to identify existing infrastructure needs necessary to accommodate future expansion, to establish realistic schedules, and to establish preliminary cost estimates.  Please note that the dates presented below are from the UEP Master Plan and will likely be adjusted due to Hurricane Ian's impacts.

The following is brief summary of the findings and recommended improvements within future service areas. 

• North 3 will be the next area to receive utilities after North 1. This area is west of Burnt Store Road, north of the recently completed North 2 area, and extends north to Kismet Parkway.  North 3 is expected to be complete by 2025.

• Also expected to be complete by 2025 is an expansion of utilities north on Burnt Store Road to the city line. This allows the planned Hudson Creek development to move forward and will spur commercial development along Burn Store Road.  Much of this expansion may be funded by the Hudson Creek project.  Finally, by 2025 a new 22,000 linear foot sewer main on Veteran's Parkway will be constructed which is necessary for future sewer expansion.

• By 2027, the existing North reverse osmosis water plant on Kismet Parkway needs to be expanded from 6 to 18 million gallons per day.

• By 2030, the city intends to construct utilities in the North 4 and North 5 areas. Also, a new water storage tank will be constructed in the northeast section of the city.

• By 2035, the city intends to construct utilities in North 6 and North 7 areas. The city also intends to build a new water reclamation facility (wastewater treatment plant) in the northwest.  The site is adjacent to the existing reverse osmosis water plant on Kismet Parkway near Chiquita Boulevard. 

• By 2040, the city intends to construct utilities in North 8 and North 9 areas.

• North 10 through North 12 areas are planned for 2045.

Design of North 3

The City is in the process of hiring an engineer to design utilities in the North 3 area. This effort is approximately 5 months behind schedule due to Hurricane Ian.  The design is expected to be complete in approximately 1 year with construction commencing in 2024.  Assessment costs for North 3 will likely be in line with those for North 1 west but will be refined as the design progresses.

The City is progressing well on the UEP, although recent weather impacts have certainly impacted the planned schedule.  If you have comments or questions on work completed or on planned work, please contact me at publicworks@nwcape.com. 

Don Freeman, P.E.

NWNA Public Works Committee