If you drive around Southwest Florida, you can't help but notice all the construction going on. It's a new restaurant here, home fix-up stores there and shopping plazas packed with national brands everywhere. And let's not forget those fancy car washes springing up all over the place.

It's all an indication of retailers moving in,  anxious to sell to the new people moving here in recent years, as well as long-time residents.  
  
"I wouldn't call it a building boom but we are in a pretty healthy place here in Lee County," Chase Mayhugh, President of Mayhugh Commercial Advisors, said. "It is a bullish outlook."

The Mayhugh family has been involved in commercial development in this area for more than 50 years.

"So the projects that you're seeing come out of the ground now are  infill projects that are really designed to meet the needs of the community," Mayhugh said. "It is just that development has shifted into more of a purpose type development."

He explained that national retailers have checked enough demographic and population boxes to make this region a must-build location. And now, something like a stampede to fill pockets of retail need, has begun.

"And once one jumps in, they're all kind of like cattle," Mayhugh said. "They all follow suit.  And that's what we're seeing now.   A lot of the nationals are seeing that Lehigh (Acres) has this huge need, and finally it's being met.  It is kind of exciting to see that."

Carolyn Hunter, a homeowner in South Fort Myers, has a different opinion.

"Well it's too much, too soon, definitely too much too soon and the quality of life ... we're all going to pay for it one way or the other," Hunter said. "And I think it's going to create some flooding issues for the people who are already there.  Those of us who are not in flood zones, will become in flood zones, just because:  there is no place for the water to go."

Chase Mayhugh said he's convinced Lee County leaders are guarding against flood threats. And he added that protections against too many high-rises, too much density, will ensure that Lee does not become another Fort Lauderdale or Miami.

"But I think the real story is why people are moving to Southwest Florida:  it's the weather, the beaches, the quality of life, the outdoor activities that you can do," he said. "And the boating you can do here is phenomenal."    

Bonita Springs also is benefitting from new dining and entertainment options, Mayhugh said, and one resident is pleased.

"Oh I think it's two-fold better," Mark Ashbaugh said. "And not only are they adding more restaurants and dining and retail, but having more high quality.  So I think that is really good."

Chase Mayhugh said the construction is creating lots of jobs, both now and into the future, with big hospitals, stores and restaurants to open soon. And he added that building in places of need, such as Lehigh Acres, could help to ease another major problem: traffic congestion:

"if you have people coming from Lehigh and they're having to  travel into Fort Myers for goods and services, it's going to obviously impact your roadways," he said. "So if we can get those goods and services closer to those individuals in those homes, it's going to alleviate a lot of traffic." 

So a new phase of growth is beginning, and likely is not going away anytime soon.

Mike Walcher is a reporter with WGCU News. He also teaches Journalism at Florida Gulf Coast University. WGCU is your trusted source for news and information in Southwest Florida. We are a nonprofit public service, and your support is more critical than ever. Keep public media strong and donate now. Thank you.