Driving from Fort Myers to Naples one must drive through Estero which has been called a "boom town". Estero is booming! More than three million square feet of retail, dining, and theaters have been added over several years and the commercial space is still being built including four new hotels. What's even more impressive, it's all fully leased.
The major retail centers are Gulf Coast Town Center (GCTC) at the Corner of Alico Road and Ben Hill Griffin Parkway - a wonderful open-air outdoor mall. This location is about three miles from the new Southwest Florida Regional Airport, Florida Gulf Coast University, Miromar Lakes Beach and Country Club and Grandezza Golf and Country Club. GCTC is home to the Bass Pro Shop complete with marina and lake and way too much more to mention.
Heading south on Ben Hill Griffin to Corkscrew Road will take you to the Miromar Outlet Mall, another outdoor mall. The Outlets are just completing Phase VI and there is one more to go. There are over 120 shops and counting.
Further west on Corkscrew, toward U.S. 41 and near The Brooks, you will find the Coconut Point Mall, another outdoor mall, which is home to The Residences at Coconut Point. Live, work, shop, dine, and play all at Coconut Point.
In 2000, the permanent and seasonal population was about 15,000. By the end of 2006 it is estimated to be nearly 41,000. The projection for 2010 brings the number to approximately 50,000 seasonal and permanent residents with the ratio of permanent to seasonal resident growing steadily every year.
Estero is doing a superb job of managing and planning its growth. Much of this is due to the participation of many resident volunteer groups like the Estero Council of Community Leaders. This is a "grass roots" community organization that listens to its residents and provides a forum for these concerns to be heard.
Estero is home to a great many residential communities offering a wide variety of lifestyles and amenities - residences at the mall, golf and country clubs, lakes, and residences on Estero Bay with access to boating and canoing. All this is just a short way from the pristine white beaches on the Gulf of Mexico.
Please feel free to call me anytime if you would like some information or if you simply have a question.
Bob Pisa, REALTOR®, e-PRO®
Prestige Properties of South Florida, Inc.
4947 Tamiami Trail N, STE 106, Naples FL 34103
Email 239.898.6865 (mobile) Toll Free 888.678.2500 ext 32 |