Florida Rep Purchases Historic Downtown Fort Myers Property

Need to catch up on business news in Southwest Florida? No problem. Here are the top stories of the week pulled from our daily newsletter, Gulfshore Business Daily. â€‹

Friday, June 28

LUMINARY HOTEL APPOINTS NEW GM

Luminary Hotel & Co. has appointed Bob Megazzini as general manager of the 243-room hotel coming to downtown Fort Myers in late 2020. Megazzini will oversee the hiring of new staff, day-to-day operations, and guest and employee satisfaction at Luminary Hotel, along with the remodeled Harborside Event Center, which will be rebranded, and the planned amphitheater in Centennial Park. With more than 30 years of experience at several Marriott hotels around the country, Megazzini started his career in the kitchen and worked his way up to executive chef. Megazzini was most recently the area general manager for the JW Marriott Denver and Courtyard Denver Downtown for three years. The Luminary Hotel will be a part of the Autograph Collection of Marriott International Inc. and is expected to be the first Autograph hotel in the Fort Myers-Naples area, according to a press release.

Thursday, June 27

FLORIDA REP PURCHASES DOWNTOWN FORT MYERS PROPERTY

Florida Repertory Theatre has purchased the Bradford block in downtown Fort Myers, which contains the historic Arcade Theatre, ArtStage Studio Theatre, and other Florida Rep facilities, as well as the parking lot across Bay Street. This purchase was made possible by multiple transformational gifts from a group of anonymous donors, given solely for the company to purchase the property. In addition to the theatre’s two stages, other facilities, and the 110,000-square foot parking lot, the Bradford block contains 20 commercial units and 42 residential units. Florida Rep currently rents 12 of the residential units for visiting artists working at the theatre. Bill Smith Inc. previously owned the downtown property since 1979. The property was initially developed and owned by the Heitman family.

Wednesday, June 26

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LEE, HENDRY HABITAT NAMES NEW CEO 

The Board of Directors for Habitat for Humanity of Lee and Hendry Counties has named Becky Lucas as chief executive officer (CEO). Her appointment follows the recent announcement that former president and CEO Katherine “Kitty” Green accepted the position of vice president for advancement at Florida Gulf Coast University. In addition to appointing Lucas as CEO, the board has named Rick Mercer as president and Tanya Soholt as the chief operating officer. Lucas has served Habitat for Humanity in various roles over a span of 19 years, including volunteer, director of construction, executive director and her most recent role as vice president of community outreach. She managed the Lee and Hendry Counties Habitat affiliate during a time of rampant growth, overseeing the construction of 600-plus Habitat homes. Mercer has been with Habitat for Humanity for two years, previously serving as vice president of construction. Soholt has been with Habitat for Humanity since 1999. She previously served as vice president of family services.  

Tuesday, June 25

BONITA SPRINGS ESTERO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL REBRANDS

Bonita Springs Estero Economic Development Council has launched new branding that complements its name change to South Lee EDC. The new name and brand will be commemorated at the upcoming EDC Social, held from 4-6 p.m. on July 10 in the Cohen Center, Room 214, at Florida Gulf Coast University. Refreshments and light appetizers will be served. The event is free and open to the public. RSVPs are requested by email to Director@SouthLeeEDC.com. South Lee EDC’s key strategic priorities are quality of life, workforce development, and business retention and expansion. The EDC exists to support thoughtful growth in local communities, to help relocating companies successfully plant new roots, and to attract business and resource partners that make the region economically stable. For more information, visit SouthLeeEDC.com.

Monday, June 24

NAPLES CLOSED HOME SALES UP IN MAY

In tempo with a recent shift in sales from high-end homes near the beach to homes under $500,000 in areas east of the beach, overall closed sales during May in the Naples area increased 9.8 percent to 1,165 closed sales compared to 1,061 closed sales in May 2018. Closed sales were highest in east Naples, which reported a 21.7 percent increase. While inventory levels decreased 13 percent to 5,905 homes in May from 6,785 homes in May 2018, more than 2,000 homeowners reduced prices during May, according to the May 2019 Market Report released by the Naples Area Board of REALTORS (NABOR), which tracks home listings and sales within Collier County (excluding Marco Island). To view the entire report, visit 

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