North Fort Myers economy set to boom
Thousands of new roofs going up, the construction happening at some of the commercial areas that needed it the most, and, of course, Starbucks.
These and many other exciting developments are on the horizon for North Fort Myers in the not-so-distant future, and it will drive the economy for the rest of northern Lee County.
That is what John Talmage, of the Lee County Economic Development Office, told business leaders at a recent North Fort Myers Chamber of Commerce Business Awards luncheon held at Gulf Coast Village in Cape Coral.
For years, North Fort Myers has been seen as a blank canvas as it is one of the last areas in Lee County that has not been developed.
That is very quickly changing as new homes have been going up at a fast clip, which in turn should spark commercial development beyond storage units and dollar stores.
“There are going to be 10,000 new homes built in North Fort Myers alone and 86,000 throughout the county, and we need more commercial, a better balance of retail and restaurants to all the new homes,” Talmage said.
Entrada, Del Webb and Bridgewater are the big residential developments sprouting up in North Fort Myers, with many more in the pipeline.
For that, Merchants Crossing has started its mixed-use project, which will include 279 multi-family dwelling units in four four-story buildings which will be connected by pedestrian paths to the collection of stores already on-site. Amenities for new residents include a clubhouse, pool, and public plazas.
The Hancock Bridge Square Plaza is approaching a wrecking ball, to be replaced by apartment complexes, some commercial and a large health care facility.
The Hancock Bridge Apartments development is planned for 320 multi-family residential units within eight buildings with heights of three or four stories. A clubhouse and other residential amenities are also proposed, including a high-end gymnasium with a restaurant.
“North Fort Myers is one of the most underserved areas for healthcare in the state, especially behavioral health,” Talmage said. The average is one health professional for every 250 residents. Here, it’s one for every 900.”
As for the job market, there are 25,000 jobs available in Lee County, with only about 9,000 seeking work, Talmage said. The participation rate is low, with only 55 percent of the population in the workforce and 18,00 between the ages of 16 and 24 on the sidelines wondering what to do with themselves.
Talmage said there are schools that can get people into the medical field or the trades that can put young people to work immediately for good wages, since both are badly needed and don’t need a four-year degree.
“We’re working with the school board to expand the technical colleges, with a new location in Fort Myers and expand the public service academy so we can have more firefighting and police units,” Talmage said. “There will be a Lehigh technical college in the five-year plan.”
Among the other projects Talmage was excited about include the planned 100-acre industrial park south of Littleton Road between the two 41s. When asked about the potential for softball fields, which residents have been clamoring for forever, there is still not a plan in place.
This will mean the county will need to make some serious investment in water and sewer to the area and other infrastructure improvements, Talmage said.
As for the two most highly anticipated projects, Paradise Isle and Waterway Estates, Talmage didn’t say much about them, especially since the future is still up in the air for Paradise Isle.
Waterway Estates, which is being used as a staging area for repair crews after the hurricane, will be leased to Safe Harbor Marinas which, in turn, will put in about $9 million of capital improvements to return this parcel to its original use which included a marina with dry storage, boat slips and a waterfront restaurant.
With nearly 80 people a day coming to Lee County (which is a larger growth rate than Tampa), finding a place for them to live will be a challenge in the short term. Talmage expects Lee County to have 1 million people by the end of the decade and large businesses such as Ikea are starting to look at Southwest Florida.
To reach CHUCK BALLARO, please email news@breezenewspapers.com