In the Know: Seagate helping move development east; Safari Jane question leads to reminiscing
Phil Fernandez
Seagate Development Group is planting seeds for future development along the State Road 82 corridor of Fort Myers.
Seagate has purchased the Bell Boulevard Mine, a 502-acre fill sand and rock mining operation about 15 miles from I-75 and 30 miles from the Gulf of Mexico.
The permitted site, consisting of six million tons of import fill and 21 million tons of base rock, will be mined starting in June by its 22-year-old Earth Tech Enterprises.
But that's just the beginning for the $15.3 million acquisition from MCIN Bell LLC, which had received county backing for work there after some opposition from critics including environmentalists.
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The organization ultimately plans to develop the land when all material is sold, said James Nulf Jr., chief operating officer for Seagate, a force in residential building that also manages more than 1.5 million square feet of commercial space.
“We look forward to the opportunity to continue our company’s mission of changing landscapes in Southwest Florida," Nulf said. "To think that a property that people may not have given much thought could one day become someone’s place of work or home is nothing short of exciting,”
With pieces coming together for what's on the horizon, the transaction makes sense, said LSI Companies CEO Justin Thibaut, who brokered it.
“This was a very strategic acquisition," said Thibaut, who's also a player in other deals we're writing about today. “With purchases like this, it’s clear that Seagate has their eye on the future and primary growth corridors in Lee County."
The spot is about a five-minute drive from where Alico Road will eventually connect to SR82 that will propel housing and commercial opportunities to new levels while providing commuters a shorter link to the interstate to then head south.
Partners Gerald Hendry and Matt Simmons, whom I refer to as "Mr. Alico", both have been sharing how fusing the corridors within five years or so will bring mega changes.
"This is a gamechanger for Lee County. This is a gamechanger for Collier County as well," said Hendry, a broker and consultant for the Maxwell, Hendry & Simmons appraisal firm, noting the key commuting aspect involving the roads. "Right of way is acquired. It's great (for) Lehigh Acres — that's kind of our bedroom community. That's our workforce labor that we desperately, desperately need."
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Besides the dimly lit but lush Little League fields, at least three places truly highlight my Southwest Florida childhood experiences: With tweaked names today but what was then more simply known as the Edison Home in Fort Myers, the Everglades Wonder Gardens in Bonita Springs and Jungle Larry's in Naples.
So apologizes for my giddiness upon hearing from the latter's Safari Jane, an author and one of my two favorite local celebrities, along with Cape Coral ventriloquist and TV pitchman Jimmy Nelson, whom we sadly lost in 2019.
Nancy Jane Tetzlaff has been extremely kind with her praise for the column, and thank you for that, but this time Safari Jane had an inquiry.
"I drive by a huge construction area on Collier Boulevard — still 951 to me — just north of Vanderbilt Beach Road," she said. "So I go to the guy that knows it all. What is happening there? Have a blessed week."
Indeed, 951, that used to be such a rough, rocky ride. And perfect timing on the question since others, too, such as reader Daniel Mitchell, have been asking. Also, there's a new update on that project we've previously mentioned, and other nearby work.
First, the biggie is the 50-bed Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Naples, an inpatient rehab center for patients who have strokes, brain injuries, spinal cord setbacks, orthopedic recovery and other challenges.
That ties to a $6.7 million purchase of more than 10 acres that Thibaut brokered with Investment Properties Corp. of Naples that we first told you about in 2020.
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The 50,000-square footer is slated to debut in July at 14305 Collier Blvd. between Wolfe Road and Mission Hills Drive, with plans for further expansion. It will be directed by Enid Gonzalez, who has begun hiring.
Gonzalez most recently served as CEO of an Encompass location in Puerto Rico for four years, according to Lori Bedard, president of the Alabama-based group’s Southeast region.
“Enid is a highly accomplished leader with extensive healthcare experience at Encompass Health and other health systems," Bedard said, noting her nearly 25 years of leadership and as a medical school professor on the island. "We are honored she has accepted the role as CEO."
On an adjacent 23 acres that sold for $7.25 million that was also brokered by LSI, look for a PulteGroup community called Sonoma Oaks that includes 114 townhomes, with sales scheduled to begin later this year. While final pricing is in the works, Pulte's Richard McCormick promises "an appealing price point."
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Pluses also include saving gas on some needs including being two minutes from chain groceries and close to parks and schools.
On the price issue, owners will have "the flexibility and low cost of ownership that comes with townhome living," said McCormick, area president of PulteGroup’s Florida Divisions. "Sonoma Oaks is an exciting project for us."
The spot is about two miles west of the Greyhawk at Golf Club of the Everglades development on Vanderbilt, where Pulte says abodes have been starting at about $620,000.
It's also five miles southwest of yet another Pulte enterprise, the 77-home Ventana Point on Immokalee Road adjacent to Richards Street, where the company said this week construction just began. More than $550,000 will get you in there on the low end.
Based at the Naples Daily News, Columnist Phil Fernandez (pfernandez@gannett.com) writes In the Know as part of the USA TODAY NETWORK. Support Democracy and subscribe to a newspaper and our app.