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michaelsaunders.com | 13 As Southwest Florida continues to grow, local airports are seeing a significant rise in traffic. Sarasota International Airport added two new routes to New York for the upcoming season, while the Punta Gorda Airport welcomed a 73% increase in passenger traffic this summer. Low cost airline Allegient flies jets to Northeast and Midwest cities including Allentown, Pa., Columbus, Oh. and Niagara Falls, N.Y.. Don Lee, chairman of the Charlotte County Airport authority notes that the passenger traffic is not limited to tourists visiting Southwest Florida. Apparently, Floridians are traveling in record numbers which is also a sign of an increase in the number of full-time residents in the region. Area colleges gained national recognition in 2014. The Princeton Review and USA Today ranked New College of Florida the No. 2 Best Value Public College in America, while The Princeton Review and Entrepreneur magazine ranked the University of South Florida's Center for Entrepreneurship as the 13th best graduate business school in the country. USF is the only Florida university listed among the top 25 graduate programs and the sixth- highest rated program among public universities. Southwest Florida's newest retail epicenter, The Mall at University Town Center will open its doors October 16th. The mix of tenants will be similar to the International Plaza, in Tampa, which is also owned by the same developers, Taubman's. UTC will have some high-end stores, but more affordable brands as well. With several national restaurant brands such as Brio Tuscan Grill, The Cheesecake Factory and Seasons 52, this new area attraction is providing excitement and economic opportunities in the region. Early estimates show that the Mall at UTC will attract 1.2 million shoppers from St. Petersburg to Fort Myers. Also included on UTC's roster of tenants is Saks Fifth Avenue, Macy's and Dillard's with several other first time chains to be included. An average of 8,000 baby boomers are expected to retire daily in the U. S. for the next several years. Southwest Florida is expected to greatly benefit from the influx of new home buyers looking for the perfect spot to make the best of their golden years. The chief economist for the National Association of Realtors, Lawerence Yun, pointed out that the baby boomer retirement phenomenon is not limited to the United States. At the annual Sarasota International Real Estate conference, he reminded guests that after World War II, servicemen all over the world, "came home and started having babies." Sarasota tends to attract a diverse international clientele, led by Canadians and residents from Great Britain, but, in the future, other nationalities are expected to find the green waters of the Gulf quite appealing; especially the Chinese retirees who have predominately invested in the west coast in the past. IN THE NEWS Property featured on page 51

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