CAPE CORAL, Fla. - TelAve -- Benchmark General Contractors held a groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday, June 17 for Midpoint Gateway Retail Center, a 7,500-square-foot multi-tenant retail development at 2675 Del Prado Blvd. S. in Cape Coral, marking the official start of construction.

The new retail center will offer space for five businesses, with leasing opportunities still available. GMA Architects and Planners is serving as architect on the project, with Moody Powell Structural Engineers as structural engineer. Construction is underway and is expected to be completed within eight months.

"Projects like this, they don't get enough attention," said Brad Nickel, president of Benchmark General Contractors. "It's a small 7,500-square-foot strip mall, but what it represents is jobs staying local, building the community up, dressing up Cape Coral -- the less people are driving across the causeway to get jobs, the better. I think projects like this are exactly what the community needs right now."

Nickel said the project is moving quickly, with site work expected to begin within the next week, and the center positioned for tenants to begin leasing by the end of the year.

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The groundbreaking comes as Benchmark expands its reach beyond Sanibel and Captiva, where the company has concentrated much of its work since Hurricane Ian.

Cape Coral City Councilmember Bill Steinke attended the groundbreaking and praised the investment in the city's commercial corridor.

"We've needed more business opportunity here for folks," Steinke said. "There are businesses that want to start here, but we've just not had the space for them. For an entity to come and invest in our city and make available space for businesses and retail operators to be here is just a great addition to our city – a welcome sight to see a new business space being opened up."

Steinke added that the project supports the city's broader economic goals.

"Our quest has been to increase the commercial tax base in our area, and so we welcome those businesses that are willing to put up the infrastructure necessary to accommodate that," Steinke said.

Benchmark's project team leading Midpoint Gateway Retail Center includes Ryan Johnson as vice president of commercial and Doug Hrabik as senior project manager.

As Southwest Florida continues to grow, Benchmark General Contractors remains committed to delivering high-quality construction projects that serve businesses and communities across the region. Midpoint Gateway Retail Center reflects the company's ongoing investment in the Cape Coral market and its broader effort to support local economic growth.