Gulfshore Business has been providing daily updates on business reopenings, adjustments, financial assistance and more in response to COVID-19. For daily information, subscribe to our free newsletter, Gulfshore Business Daily, and find archived newsletters at GulfshoreBusiness.com.
Friday, June 19
AMAZON DISTRIBUTION CENTER PROPOSED FOR COLLIER COUNTY
An Amazon distribution center is proposed for the unfinished commercial building that has loomed for more than a decade on the southwest corner of Davis and Collier boulevards in East Naples. The proposed distribution center would handle last-mile delivery – the shipment of goods from a transportation hub to the final destination – with employees and vans primarily utilizing the site, according to a traffic impact study filed with Collier County planners. A resolution approved June 9 by county commissioners designates a logistics facility as a comparable and compatible use within the Interstate 75/Collier Boulevard commercial center planned unit development. Proposals show the building will be occupied by a single tenant, unlike previous retail plans by Benderson Development for the 104,860-square-foot Davis Crossing structure on more than 15 acres at 8770 Davis Blvd.
Thursday, June 18
FLORIDA CONGRESSMAN WANTS TO BAN CITRUS IMPORTS FROM CHINA TO HELP LOCAL FARMERS
Help could be on the way for Southwest Florida citrus farmers as they deal with added struggles from the pandemic. Rep. Greg Steube wants to ban commercially-produced citrus imports from China. “There’s a lot more than just the domestic production competition. The other issues are the safety of bringing in pests from outside the United States,” Steube says. He represents the largest citrus-producing district in the U.S. and believes banning commercial citrus imports from China can diminish their dilemma. Steube’s bill was referred to the US House Ways and Means Committee on June 11, WINK News reports.
Wednesday, June 17
NEW HOUSING DEVELOPMENT PLANNED OFF IMMOKALEE ROAD
A new 77-unit residential community named Ventana Pointe is planned on nearly 38 acres on the south side of Immokalee Road about 2 miles east of Collier Boulevard. At its regular meeting Tuesday, the Collier County Planning Commission unanimously approved the planned unit development and amending the future land use element of the county’s growth management plan to allow two dwelling units per acre for property within the Rural Fringe Mixed Use District-Receiving Lands. The subdivision by Florida-based Zuckerman Homes is proposed on a narrow strip of land east of Fogg’s Nursery & Mulch Supply, west of Richards Street and across Immokalee Road from Heritage Bay Golf & Country Club. Primary access to Ventana Pointe will be on Immokalee Road, where a right-in/right-out turn lane will be added.
Tuesday, June 16
NEW BUSINESSES PLANNED ON BUSY CORNER IN BONITA SPRINGS
Although the Southwest Florida Event Center recently closed in Bonita Springs, other businesses are preparing to open nearby on that southeast corner of Bonita Beach Road and Imperial Parkway in Bonita Springs. Mediterranean Paradise, a local café for Lebanese and Greek cuisine, is coming this summer to an inline unit next to Teri’s Diner in Imperial Bonita Plaza at 11601 Bonita Beach Road. In that same retail center, Planet Fitness is taking more than 20,000 square feet of the 64,000-square-foot anchor space vacated by Albertsons supermarket more than a decade ago. As the fitness center chain prepares to open its eighth location in Southwest Florida, the façade of the plaza and its parking lot will be completely redeveloped, according to LandQwest. At the Bonita Beach Road entrance to the plaza, construction recently started on a Dunkin’ doughnut shop and Sherwin-Williams paint store. Between this location and Home Depot, a four-story, 113-room Fairfield Inn & Suites hotel is under construction and targeted to open in November.
Monday, June 15
DEO ISSUES REEMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE UPDATES
The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) on June 11 issued reemployment assistance updates on the Reemployment Assistance (RA) Claims Dashboard. As of June 10, DEO has paid 1,349,589 claimants a total of $5.1 billion. Gov. Ron DeSantis has directed DEO to continue waiving the work search and work registration requirements for claimants through July 4. Additionally, the waiting week requirement will continue to be waived through Aug. 1. To comply with federal law, for weeks beginning May 10, claimants for all Reemployment Assistance programs are required to return to the CONNECT system every two weeks to request their benefits or “claim their weeks.” In doing so, claimants will confirm that they are still unemployed and acknowledge that they are able and available for work should it be offered. For more information, click here.
