You might have noticed this already, especially if you’ve tried to run a quick errand or get a table at your favorite brunch place here in the heart of tourist season, but Southwest Florida is seriously growing. It turns out that when your population increases by around 220,000 residents—and counting—in a 10-year span, the effects tend to be noticeable.
Just look at Alico Road. The entire area has changed dramatically, and while longtime local residents can remember when it was a two-lane strip of gravel that led to a quarry and passed nothing in particular, within a few years the county’s Economic Development Office estimates that one in three jobs in Lee County will be in the bustling Alico corridor. In “Highway to Growth” on p. 46, Sheldon Zoldan talks with developers about how the area became such a hot spot for expansion, and what the future holds—besides traffic—for one of the busiest areas for business in Southwest Florida.
Growth is good, right? Well, economic booms are certainly enjoyable for those positioned to benefit, but as our region is discovering, sometimes more is less. As in, more new residents with higher household budgets mean less available housing for those of more modest means who already live here. Or, increasingly, lived, since lower-income Floridians priced out of housing—or unable to find replacements for their dwellings destroyed by Hurricane Ian—have been forced to look elsewhere. David Dorsey looks at the issue in “The Cost of Affordability” on p. 32, including a breakdown of the difference between “affordable housing” as officially defined and “workforce housing,” how state and federal funding is working to help increase supply, and why the solution isn’t as simple as “just build more houses.” It’s a problem that affects the entire community, and it’s likely to be a topic of prime importance to SWFL for years to come.
In the meantime, we find ourselves in the season of giving, hopefully filled with a spirit of benevolence and generosity … which can be sorely tested when we’re confronted with a “suggested tip” screen prompting us to add 18% or more to what feels like every purchase, even those when no real service was provided. Melanie Pagan discusses the rise of the phenomenon and navigating gratuity guilt with economists, business owners and protocol experts in “The Tipping Point” on p. 92.
As we wind down the year and look forward with optimism to 2024, I’d like to thank all of you for reading, and wish our very best to the growing Southwest Florida community. Big things are ahead for us all.
