Presenting

Paradise Coast NEWS Adjacent to the Fort Myers Beach Pier is what is considered to be the center of Fort Myers Beach, Times Square J John Meshad, owner and president of Sarasota's JWM Management, is betting on downtown Fort Myers, envisioning the development of a 175-room hotel there near Harborside Center. This is not Meshad's first hotel project. He was behind Atlanta's St. Regis Hotel and Starwood Hotel and Resorts' luxury brand in Georgia. Meshad has been responsible for other major projects, including a hospital in Sarasota and at least a dozen commercial and retail locations in Florida and Georgia. Fort Myers' uniqueness is what makes consultant, Acquest Realty Advisors, believe that conventions would be greatly served there. Rooms wouldn't be as pricey as in other cities or as high-end as Naples and Miami; and the hotel would be smaller than the convention center hotels in Orlando and Tampa. Southwest Florida's Paradise Coast leads the state in job creation. Collier County was first in the state last year, with 3.5 % growth over 2011. Business and professional services, along with tourism and construction helped to add nearly 4,000 jobs. Lee County came in second, with tourism, construction, transportation, information and utilities growing the job market in the area's most populated county by 2.5 %. "We've seen the housing market come back. And with the housing market, comes the demand of supplies, demand on the private sector for engineers and design. It's a mass build-up of opportunity that you will see," says Lee Commission Chair Cecil Pendergrass. The commissioner says Lighthouse Sanibel Island he'd like to further diversify the county's economy by targeting the medical and technology industries as well. Median prices of single-family homes and condos in Naples jumped more than 20% in February, compared with the same month one year ago. Naples home prices have surged. "The market has consistently improved since 2008 and is now very healthy. However, we would not be surprised to see sales slow a little over the next six months due to a lack of inventory," says Phil Wood, President and CEO of John R. Wood Realtors in Naples. Neal Communities, the Lakewood Ranch builder, announced recently that it has acquired 106 acres of residential property, zoned for approximately 297 homes, in Fort Myers for its Colonial Lakes Community. Plans for the community of paired-villas and single-family homes include an amenity center with a pool, spa, tennis courts and fitness gym www.FloridaHomesMag.com | 47

• Cover