The Sanford-based contractor Wharton-Smith, Inc. is the top pick to manage construction of a new $140 million Fort Myers Police Headquarters, but business advocates argued that the company won’t sufficiently support minority-owned subcontractors or programs to boost minority workers.
Fort Myers City Council voted 5-1 on June 16 to begin negotiations to hire Wharton-Smith or else move on the second, third or fourth choices if negotiations are not successful. The construction manager’s responsibility includes identifying prospective subcontractors, suppliers and sub-trades for the project.
The NAACP’s Lee County leadership argued that the city’s chosen construction manager should do more than the minimum to support local businesses, such as providing additional training and apprenticeship programs for minority employees.
“Work with contractors who will put an apprenticeship program in place when building (the new Fort Myers Police) headquarters,” Lee NAACP President James Muwakkil urged Councilmembers.
Lee NAACP’s Economic Chairman Mike Love asked the city to hire a firm that support’s programs to break the link between poverty and incarceration.
“It’s a betrayal of the Black and minority communities who bear the weight of over policing yet are denied economic justice they are owed,” he said.
The historically African American Dunbar and Hispanic Tice neighborhoods, said Love, are “trapped in systematic neglect.” (Tice is in unincorporated Lee County next to East Fort Myers.)
Fort Myers’ Minority Business Enterprise Policy requires a construction manager to partner with a minimum of two minority businesses based in Lee County.
Councilmember Terolyn Watson cast a dissenting vote, arguing that the Council should direct the city manager to require a construction manager to provide additional outreach programs for minority businesses. Councilmember Liston Bochette was absent.
Wharton-Smith is open to discussing apprenticeship programs and further outreach to minority-owned subcontractors and minority workers, said Fort Myers Area Manager Caryn Huff. She declined to make any official commitments beyond following
“It’s something we take very seriously – first and foremost, I’m a woman in the construction business,” Huff said, adding that she’s often the only woman in the room in an industry dominated by men. “We aim to meet or exceed any kind of minority business involvement (requirements) in our projects.”
Nine companies submitted proposals that the city’s five-member selection committee evaluated to rank and score their qualifications to design and construct the new police headquarters. They weighted their evaluation criteria first by experience and qualifications (46.6%), followed by approach to design (38.1%), and compliance with the city’s Minority Business Enterprise Policy (11%).
The committee recommended moving forward with Wharton-Smith. They were followed by Ajax Building Company, LLC, Suffolk Construction, and Manhattan/Chris-Tel Joint Venture.
Wharton-Smith is based in Sanford with regional offices across the Southeast United States, including in Fort Myers. In its bid, Wharton said the firm has completed more than 65 public safety projects in Florida, including the Orlando Police Headquarters.
The new Fort Myers Police Headquarters is set to be built on Flower and Market Streets and include a three-story, 152,000-square-foot building. A schedule calls for early site construction to begin in February 2026 with police moving into the new space in September 2027.
