BRING it ON | Naples Florida Weekly

THOUGH THE PANDEMIC IS FAR from over in Florida, economic development directors and other economic experts in four counties forecast a boom: Each county will see at least $1 billion in development over the next two years and the creation of 2,000 jobs.

The numbers rise from there, depending on the county. “It’s just phenomenal, what is going on,” said Dave Gammon, Charlotte County Economic Development director. “A wave is coming through Southwest Florida.” With this economic wave, “the tide lifts everybody,” he said.

In Palm Beach County, it seems the phones have “lit on fire,” with inquiries about moving businesses and bringing economic development to the county, said Kelly Smallridge, president and CEO of the Business Development Board of Palm Beach County. The current activity is unlike anything she’s seen in her 32 years in economic development, she said.

Florida Weekly looked at four counties: Lee, Collier, Charlotte on the west coast and Palm Beach on the east coast, to see what economic development directors and other economic experts see in the near economic future.

Proposed Great Wolf Lodge COURTESY RENDERING

Each official described the top five projects on tap in their counties, looking at size, cost, impact on the economy and the community.

John Talmage, director of the Lee County Economic Development Office, refers to it as a “postpandemic recovery.” Sean Callahan, executive director of corporate business operations in Collier County, prefers the term post-pandemic “boom.”

How can this be? While the pace of COVID-19 vaccinations continues to accelerate and Florida seemingly is getting a better handle on managing the pandemic, it is still far from over. The real estate industry is booming, but tourism remains devastated and passenger numbers at Southwest Florida International Airport are still about 41% below what they were a year ago.

“It’s all in your perspective,” Mr. Callahan said. “We’re still in the pandemic.”

Sunseeker COURTESY RENDERING

But Collier County and Southwest Florida have done far better than other parts of the state “and an extremely high amount of business is looking to relocate from other parts of the country,” he said. “Tourism is still down, but down far less than the rest of the state.”

There are glimmers that things are improving. The February unemployment rates show that Florida’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate dropped to 4.7%, which is the same rate the state had back in January 2017, according to an analysis by John Shannon, Economic

Analyst for the Regional Economic Research Institute at Florida Gulf Coast University in Lee County. Meanwhile, the February unemployment rate for the U.S. was 6.2%.

In Southwest Florida, the unemployment rate was 3.9%, which matches the same level as December 2017. In Palm Beach County, the unemployment rate was 4.5%.

Mr. Shannon’s analysis shows that while employment in the leisure and hospitality industry in Lee, Charlotte and Collier counties has improved since the beginning of the pandemic, it still remains at only 84% of total employment in that sector compared to February 2020, representing a loss of over 14,000 workers.

RSW’s new Air Traffic Control Tower LEE COUNTY PORT AUTHORITY COURTESY PHOTO

Meanwhile, it’s clear that people are relocating here, said Amir Neto, interim director of the Regional Economic Research Institute at FGCU.

U-Haul and Atlas Van Lines say Florida is one of the top three states for one-way trucks, he said. What is true for people can also be true for business. Florida is attractive because there are fewer restrictions, Mr. Neto said. This is a tax-friendly state. When COVID-

19 restrictions occurred, they were mild, unlike other states that went into full lockdown. And reopening occurred at a faster rate.

The efforts will continue to make sure the leisure and hospitality industry recovers, Mr. Neto said. “But one effort the region has been pushing over the last few years is diversification,” he said.

GAMMON

Mr. Shannon’s analysis shows that warehousing, transportation and utilities industries have all gained employment over pre-COVID levels in Lee, Collier and Charlotte counties.

So while working to bring back tourism, the push is to diversify the economy to reduce dependence on tourism, Mr. Neto said.

At Southwest Florida International Airport, things are looking up. Construction continues on a new $80 million Airport Traffic Control Tower. Meanwhile, the $280 million, 200,000-square-foot expansion of the airport terminal, a project that had been deferred for a year due to the impact of the pandemic, will be bid this month, said Ben Siegel, executive director for the Lee County Port Authority.

Passenger traffic may be down, but the airport is No. 1 among the top 50 airports in the country in recovery, he said. The airport has recovered about 60% of its pre-COVID traffic, more than any other airport in the nation. From the airport standpoint, “we are optimistic,” Mr. Siegel said.

SMALLRIDGE

The airlines have obviously recognized how important the leisure market is in the area’s recovery, he said. They are now looking to maintain their seasonal marketing levels through the summer. For example, “May seat capacity is up to 60% greater than 2019,” which was in itself a record year, Mr. Siegel said. “That means May could be potentially the busiest May on record. That’s where we’re getting our optimism from. It’s important to recognize that.”

Lee County corridor is booming

In Lee County, $2 billion in economic development and 6,500 jobs are expected in the next two years, all in one booming development area, said John Talmage, Lee County Economic Development director.

He’s talking about the corridor of Alico Road in South Lee County, surrounded by Three Oaks Parkway, Treeline Avenue, the Southwest Florida International Airport and the FGCU campus.

“COVID has had both a positive and negative effect on our economy,” Mr. Talmage said. “We were one of the hardest hit anywhere in terms of hospitality and tourism, but the manufacturing, distribution and light industrial space has grown faster than expected. We have 1.7 million square feet under construction as we speak.”

TALMAGE

The area is already home to 33,000 jobs, Mr. Talmage said. “We project over the next three to five years the area will have 65,000 jobs, or 20% of Lee County’s entire workforce.”

In addition, there is so much development going in the corridor of Treeline Avenue between Alico Road and Daniels Parkway, “it’s looking like a whole new city,” he said.

The development is all part of the diversification of the economy, which is needed, he said.

Among the projects currently under construction are the new headquarters and a lab for NeoGenomics, a firm specializing in cancer genetics testing, and new headquarters for Scotlynn USA, a trucking company that transports perishable foods for the grocery business.

CALLAHAN

“The post-pandemic recovery has been pretty strong here,” Mr. Talmage said.

In the KNOW

LEE COUNTY TOP FIVE PROJECTS

NeoGenomics: Specializes in cancer genetics testing and information services. Two buildings, including a lab and new headquarters facility, covering 150,000 square feet.

Location: 9490 NeoGenomics Way Fort Myers (Off of Three Oaks Pkwy).

Size:14 acres

Cost: $110 million

Jobs: 295 new jobs; 400 retained jobs.

RSW Expansion: A new $80 million Airport Traffic Control Tower is under construction at Southwest Florida International Airport, to be followed by start of construction of a $280 million, 200,000-square-foot expansion of the airport terminal.

Location: Southwest Florida International Airport

Size: Terminal expansion will be 200,000 square feet. Tower is 15,544 square feet.

Cost: $360 million (two projects)

Jobs: Tower project will create 400 jobs; terminal expansion will create 1,000 jobs.

SHANNON

Scotlynn USA: Freight forwarding / brokerage services firm providing truck transportation for perishable refrigerated produce. New headquarters project includes 60,000-square-foot building in Phase 1 and 20,000-square-foot building in phase 2. Located on 8.35 acres, part of the 78.8-acre Florida Gulf Coast Business Tract B & C.

Location: 9597-9599 Gulf Research Lane (Off of Three Oaks Parkway)

Size: 8.35 acres

Cost: $11 million

Jobs: 140 new jobs; 85 retained jobs.

Knott Realty: Baltimore based company is building three single-story commercial buildings for light industrial/office use.

Location: 14601-14661Jetport Loop (Off Treeline Avenue South)

Size: 143,337 square feet (total of 3 buildings)

Cost: $8.42 million

Jobs: TBD

Alta Resources: Three-story contact center building on a 12.51 acre site. Offers business processing outsourcing to third-party companies.

Location: Off Paul J. Doherty Parkway

Size: 97,388 square feet

Cost: $21.3 million

Jobs: 500 new jobs; 600 retained jobs

NETO

— Source: John Talmage, director of the Lee County Economic Development Office

Collier County continues eastern shift

In Collier County, Sean Callahan projects about $1.5 billion in economic development in the next two years along with an estimated 4,000 to 5,000 jobs.

“I think we’re looking at an extremely booming time right now and it only looks better for next year,” said Mr. Callahan, who is executive director of corporate business operations in the county manager’s office.

A high number of businesses are looking to relocate to Collier County from other parts of the country, he said. Once we get past the pandemic, people will also start traveling more, he said.

Mr. Callahan is partial to the Paradise Coast Sports Complex on his list of top developments, not only for what it will offer in terms of sports and entertainment, but for what it will generate.

SIEGEL

“The reason I list that as one of the most important projects is the interest in the development around it,” he said.

This includes a proposed $234 million Great Wolf Lodge 550-room hotel and entertainment center, with an 80,000-square foot water park.

One important project is a new $25 million mental health facility to be developed on a parcel of land adjacent to the existing David Lawrence Center, the county’s mental health services provider.

The 60,000-square-foot project will increase bed capacity and be a central receiving facility for people to connect to mental health services.

“This will continue to improve the quality of life for Collier residents, which is of ever-growing importance to employers that seek to relocate or expand in the area,” he said.

Development in the county will continue to push eastward, Mr. Callahan said.

And as it continues to grow, the center of the county will also move eastward, he said.

Aeroclean Technologies COURTESY RENDERING

“It’s a huge opportunity.” But development will be balanced with land management and preserving the environment in Collier County, he said.

In the KNOW

COLLIER COUNTY TOP FIVE PROJECTS

Paradise Coast Sports and Event Complex: Sports and entertainment center. Includes 21 playing fields and a stadium that seats 6,000.

Location:

Size: 180 acres

Cost: $120 million

Jobs: 200

Uline corporation: Distribution facility to serve as a hub between Tampa and Miami metro areas.

Location: City Gate Commerce Park

Size: 1 million square feet

Cost: $70 million

Jobs: 220

Amazon: “last mile distribution center” to provide quick delivery within short distance of major population centers.

Location: Davis Crossings

Size: 105,000 square feet

Cost: Leased building

Jobs: 100

Big Corkscrew Island Regional Park: First phase to include a community center, aquatic center, event lawn with stage, six athletic fields, basketball, tennis and pickleball courts.

Murdock Village COURTESY RENDERING

Location: East Collier County

Size: 150 acres

Cost: $98 million

Jobs: 50

Collier County Mental Health Facility: A central receiving facility for people to connect to mental health services. Will increase bed capacity.

Location: adjacent to existing David Lawrence Center.

Size: 60,000 square feet

Cost: $25 million

— Source: Sean Callahan, executive director of corporate business operations in Collier County

Charlotte County: ‘It’s … our time’

In Charlotte County, $1 billion in economic development and 2,000 jobs are expected over the next two years, said Dave Gammon, county director of economic development.

He credits a major part of the surge to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ “Open for Business” policy in the state, he said.

Now the county is a getting inquiries from all over the country, not just the northeast, he said. Florida also has fewer COVID-19 restrictions than other states, he said.

Big Corkscrew Island Regional Park Construction COURTESY PHOTO

The new development pattern for the county stems from a mixed-use overlay passed by the Charlotte County Commission in November 2020.

Now, thousands of industrial and residential lots platted back in the ’50s and ’60s can be turned into mixed-use developments, where people can live, work, shop and play all in the same centralized area.

Smart growth, not just growth, is the goal, he said. The new overlay is expected to be an economic catalyst.

Mr. Gammon called the 4,300-acre Enterprise Charlotte Airport Park “the employment center of the future.”

The ECAP includes the Punta Gorda Airport on 1,600 acres. The land is affordable and all the infrastructure is in place, he said. The site is perfect for transportation and warehousing industry, which increased by 19.5 percent in Charlotte County from 2018 to 2019. In the future, the county will double and triple that percentage, he said.

Uline Corporation COURTESY RENDERING

Are people waking up to Charlotte County? “We’ve always kind of been the donut hole,” Mr. Gammon said. People tend to drive through on their way to Sarasota to the north or south to Lee County, he said. Now businesses are seeing that they have an affordable product, affordable land and it’s a great place to live. “We’ve been overlooked so long,” he said. “It’s kind of our time.”

In the KNOW

CHARLOTTE TOP FIVE PROJECTS

Mixed Use Overlay: This new mixed-use development pattern, passed by Charlotte County Commission in November 2020, is the catalyst for the county’s future economic development projects. One example is the Promenade Mall, a 70s style strip mall that will be turned into a mixed-use megaplex with residential, office, entertainment and shopping.

Location: Runs along U.S. 41 and SR 776 through the Port Charlotte area

Size: 26 acres (for Promenade)

Cost: $100 million (for Promenade)

Jobs: TBA

ECAP area Charlotte County COURTESY RENDERING

ECAP: The Enterprise Charlotte Airport Park is 4,300 acres, including the 1,600- acre Punta Gorda Airport. The site includes an industrial park. The terminal expansion on the north side of the airport just opened. The newest project is Punta Gorda Airport’s Aviation Expansion area, called PGD AviEx, which broke ground in September 2020. It will be a hub for general aviation activities, featuring offices, conference areas and flight instruction rooms. In addition, a new Aviation Maintenance Technician School will be launched by Charlotte Technical College in August 2021. However, this program will not be located in the AviEx area, but in the former Western Michigan classroom building and hangar south of the concourse.

Size: 100 acres

Cost: several hundred million dollars

Jobs: several thousand

Murdock Village: Repurposing area to develop three projects: on one side, the 450-acre West Port residential development; on the other side, Arredondo Pointe, a 160-acre development with a hotel, convention center, water park, golfing facility, retail and restaurants. In the middle is 180 acres open for commercial or residential development.

Location: bounded by Tamiami Trail on the north and SR 776 on the south

Size: 790 acres

Cost: buildout will be more than $1 billion

Jobs: TBD

Sunseeker Resort: Project by Allegiant Air currently on hold, with an estimated restart by the third or fourth quarter of 2021. Phase 1 will feature about 500 hotel rooms, 180 extended-stay suites, a 55,000-square-foot conference center, restaurants and retail.

Location: Charlotte Harbor

Size: 22 acres total

Cost: first phase, $470 million

Jobs: hundreds

Downtown Punta Gorda: City Council has hired a consultant to revise building codes with a new master plan to preserve Punta Gorda’s charm while making it an economic engine to produce jobs. With new guidelines in place, developers will be attracted to opportunities in the new downtown.

— Source: Dave Gammon, Charlotte County Economic Development director

‘Wall Street South’ in Palm Beach County

In Palm Beach County, $2 billion to $3 billion in economic development is projected over the next two years, with 3,000 to 3,500 high-paying jobs added each year.

“It’s through the roof,” Kelly Smallridge, president and CEO of the Business Development Board of Palm Beach County, said of the inquiries from businesses seeking to relocate or expand in the county.

The county’s “Wall Street South” initiative has sought over the last 10 years to bring financial services firms from the Northeast into Palm Beach County, Ms. Smallridge said.

Among its list of recent wins is Elliott Management, a $41 billion fund manager relocating its corporate headquarters from Manhattan.

The county’s residents already include 71,000 millionaires and about 42 billionaires, Ms. Smallridge said. Apparently, the more the merrier.

A board publication cited a March 2021 report from location analytics company Unacast that 70,000 “high net worth individuals” left New York City in 2020, bringing $34 billion in lost income with them.

Ms. Smallridge is currently working with Goldman Sachs on the possibility of moving hundreds of employees from New York City to West Palm Beach.

In mid-March, NewDay USA, a veterans mortgage lender, announced it would locate a second headquarters in West Palm Beach.

However, the county attracts a diverse array of businesses. Finfrock, which designs manufactures and builds structured parking, mixed-use development and other projects; AeroClean Technologies, a maker of air purification devices; and SIW Solutions, maker of high-end impact windows and doors, are also establishing headquarters and/or manufacturing facilities in the county. ¦

In the KNOW

PALM BEACH COUNTY TOP FIVE PROJECTS

Finfrock: Designer, builder and precast specialist will build production facilities and administrative offices in Belle Glade.

Location: Glades Gateway Commerce Park

Size: 140,000 square feet

Cost: $40 million

Jobs: 200

AeroClean Technologies: Designs, develops and markets air purification devices

Location: Palm Beach Gardens

Size: 20,000 square feet

Cost: $7 million

Jobs: 100

NewDay USA: Veterans mortgage lender new headquarters

Location: downtown West Palm Beach

Size: more than 50,000 square feet

Cost: $10 million

Jobs: 600

SIW: new headquarters for maker of high-end impact windows and doors

Location: Central Palm Beach County

Size: 168,000 square feet

Cost: $14 million

Jobs: 250

Amazon Fulfillment Center: warehouse Location: Jupiter Size: 1 million square feet Cost: N/A Jobs: 300 — Source: Kelly Smallridge, president and CEO of the Business Development Board of Palm Beach County

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