New Malls in Ft. Myers

[Metro242]

I have heard that Ft. Myers currently has three major mall projects that they are working on:

1) A new Simon town center project somewhere near Aleco I believe.

2) A major renovation of the Edison Mall.

3) Another new mall that I don't know anything about.

I was just wondering if anyone had any information on any of these projects, such as tenants for the new Town Center (any higher end retail) or general plans for the renovation of the Edison Mall.

I grew up in Ft. Myers and it's shocking to me that it's so hard to find good shopping in the area, with the only mall being extremely outdated. I haven't been in the Bell Tower mall in forever either. I worked at Bistro 41 in it for a long time, but don't know if it is still successful and being maintained. Any info about any of these plans would be great, thanks!

[jim09091]

I have heard that Ft. Myers currently has three major mall projects that they are working on:

1) A new Simon town center project somewhere near Aleco I believe.

2) A major renovation of the Edison Mall.

3) Another new mall that I don't know anything about.

I was just wondering if anyone had any information on any of these projects, such as tenants for the new Town Center (any higher end retail) or general plans for the renovation of the Edison Mall.

I grew up in Ft. Myers and it's shocking to me that it's so hard to find good shopping in the area, with the only mall being extremely outdated. I haven't been in the Bell Tower mall in forever either. I worked at Bistro 41 in it for a long time, but don't know if it is still successful and being maintained. Any info about any of these plans would be great, thanks!

Just an update for anyone who was curious:

Gulf Coast Town Center:

http://www.bonitanews.com/news/2005/sep/28...t_stores_nov_4/

"The first phase will include a Super Target, a Regal Cinema and other smaller retail stores. When completed, the regional mall will have a total of 10 department stores, six of which have been announced so far. The stores already announced include the area

[bobliocatt]

It looks like Fort Myers is well on its way to becoming Florida's next major metropolitan area.

[Aporkalypse]

It looks like Fort Myers is well on its way to becoming Florida's next major metropolitan area.

I think Ft Myers and Naples need to be very aggressive about annexation or they will not have the tax base needed to pursue large urban projects and take care of the roads in the cities' cores. Both are dwarfed by county populations and ultimately this is going to lead to a lot of conflict if nothing is done about it.

Ft Myers/Naples will become a metro of a million or more in population before you know it.

I havent' seen anything posted about Ave Maria College and the town of Ave Maria in Collier Co but that could really be a neat area, an intensively-planned de novo college town fueled by regional growth. It's kind of like Southwest Florida's Brasilia.

[jim09091]

Ave Maria University & Town

"The Town of Ave Maria is believed to be the first modern town to be developed in conjunction with a University. Located on what was once largely agricultural land, it has been designed to be a compact, walkable, self-sustaining town that reflects the community's rural roots while offering a full range of residential options and commercial services to its residents."

"The Ave Maria community totals about 5,000 acres, of which nearly 20% has been designated as the University campus. Connecting the University and the Town is a Town Core anchored by the landmark Oratory and incorporating retail and commercial space as well as residential condominiums."

"When completed, the Town will contain some 11,000 residential dwellings in a wide variety of price ranges and neighborhoods. From rental apartments to condominiums, and from starter to estate homes, Ave Maria will offer something for nearly everyone."

"A significant network of parks and recreational areas has been included; in fact, about 45% of the total town area is devoted to lakes and open space. The Collier County Public Schools have been gifted land for both an elementary and a middle school, and the University plans a K-12 parochial school to be operational when the first phase of the community opens.

It is anticipated that the first phase of the University and Town, including representative housing and commercial areas, will be operational in mid 2007."

http://www.avemariaflorida.com/

http://www.naples.avemaria.edu/

http://www.nbc-2.com/Articles/readarticle....eid=3613&z=3&p=

http://www.nbc-2.com/Articles/readarticle....eid=4359&z=3&p=

[Florida]

I love it when a company undergoes a $10,000,000.00 renovation to "stay competitive". That says alot about how much they value their shoppers, especially seeing as how they just renovated and expanded in 1999.