COCOA, Fla. — The city of Cocoa is looking into making the U.S. 1 and State Road 520 corridor more appealing for visitors and local businesses.
What You Need To Know
- Four Corners Community Visioning Plan seeks to boost business in the Cocoa area
- The proposal calls for consistent architecture themes, making the area walkable
- Some local business owners like the idea because they say they need foot traffic
- More community meetings are planned, but the dates have not been scheduled yet
The city recently unveiled the Four Corners Community Visioning Plan, which would connect to the Diamond Square and Cocoa Community Redevelopment areas.
The consensus from the community was the need for a mixed-use environment, involving both commercial and residential development, which would be walkable and improve the aesthetic appeal of the properties with consistent architectural themes.
Currently, there is not much visually pleasing about the corridor.
“Right now, it’s so undeveloped. We need something to tell people 'this is Cocoa,' and welcome them,” said Cindy Pollack, who owns Cindy Lee’s Boutique in Cocoa Village.
Like all the small businesses in the village, Pollack relies on tourist foot traffic. She said she’s excited about the visioning plan to bring more business to the area.
“We miss out on so many tourists who come to Cocoa Beach who don’t even know we are here,” she said.
The development would require zoning and land-use changes.
Pollack said she wants the idea to become a reality for the sake of the small businesses in the area.
“Maybe with this, it slows it down to where they come see us and visit us,” she said.
The city is planning more community meetings about the project. The dates and times have not been released yet.