BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — The City of Cocoa Beach is celebrating a centennial birthday.
What You Need To Know
- The City of Cocoa Beach is celebrating 100 years since its founding
- In that time frame, some leaders have focused on responsible growth
- Former Mayor Janice Scott said she wanted to ensure it still felt like a beach town
One hundred years ago, the once-desolate Brevard County town was founded.
Many factors have contributed to the city’s growth over that time, from beaches, to surfing and the space program. All combined to make the city what it is today.
And now there’s a brand-new state-of-the-art city hall, police and fire department.
“We lowered building height 40 feet, we lowered the density for hotels from 40 units to 28 units per acre. It was monumental,” former Mayor Janice Scott said. She was mayor from 1999 to 2002, where she had a goal of responsible growth.
Scott wanted to maintain what residents and tourists would expect a Florida beach town to look like.
Despite that desire, the city has still changed a lot.
“I’m happy with how the city has changed because it serves a changing culture,” Scott said.
That culture began in the 1920s, when developer Gus C. Edwards bought property to begin a resort town.
Military projects came because of World War II and the Cold War. But then, a newly created NASA was built, ushering in the space age with rocket launches and bringing in thousands of jobs.
Fast forward to 2025, to the packed beaches and budding commercial space program.
Scott looks forward to seeing what her home’s future looks like.
“If I had to think where I would go if I left Cocoa Beach, that would be a hard decision,” she said.
Cocoa Beach commissioners will make a 100th anniversary proclamation at their June 5 meeting.