Making a Mark
ON the MLK
corridor
The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard Redevelopment District was established in 2000 for
the purpose of stimulating commercial development along the corridor. Dr. Martin Luther King,
Jr. Boulevard is an east-west thoroughfare that serves as an entrance to the City of Fort Myers.
W
BY BRIAN HAMMAN, LEE COUNTY COMMISSIONER DISTRICT 4
ith the support of the Horizon Council and
the Lee County Economic Development
Office, Develop MLK is working to stimulate
commercial activity and revitalize the area. Recent activity in
the MLK corridor includes:
•
Towles Garden, a 7.5-acre residential community
planned by luxury condo developer the MacFarlane
Group, is awaiting approval. The plan includes
townhomes, villas, duplexes, a small park, and an
arts pavilion at the corner of Veronica S. Shoemaker
Boulevard and Edison Avenue. MacFarlane stated
that 51 percent of the homes will be affordable for
residents earning the median income in the area.
• The City of Fort Myers is seeking bids for a
development partner for historic McCollum Hall,
located on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard, as an
ongoing effort to foster community redevelopment.
• Buc-ee’s, a large-scale Texas based travel store and
gas station is coming soon. It will be located on the
south side of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard.
• Governor Rick Scott announced recommendations to
designate 28 census tracts in Southwest Florida as Low
Tax Opportunity Zones. Counties across Florida benefit
from having another tool in their economic development
toolbox. 12 areas have been designated in Lee County
as opportunity zones. Included in these areas are census
tracts 5.03, 5.02, and 6 in the Dunbar area (see right).
10 RPCRA.ORG | JUL/AUG 2018
A few benefits of this program include:
o o Encouragement of long-term investment and job
creation in targeted communities by reducing taxes
for many job creators.
o o Allows investors to strategically invest in targeted
communities.
o o Brings more jobs and capital investment into every
county across Florida.
To learn more about redevelopment initiatives in the MLK
corridor, follow Develop MLK on Facebook, Twitter, and
LinkedIn @DevelopMLK.
To get involved with the Develop MLK initiative, please
contact Rachel Busch, Lee County Economic Development
Office Strategic Projects Manager, at 239-533-6816, or
[email protected].