Yeah! I went to this meeting yesterday. Tim did a great job trying to get our area motivated for growth. Heres the article; NAPLES — Collier County commissioners are turning their eyes eastward for new economic development opportunities. Those opportunities could include a sports stadium built on rural lands, now zoned primarily for homes. At a workshop Tuesday, Collier County Commissioner Tim Nance brought up the stadium as just one of the potential projects the county could attract if it’s willing to ease building regulations and reconsider its growth management plan. Commissioners are looking for his leadership, since most of the rural lands are primarily east of Collier Boulevard and fall in his district. One of the goals should be to develop shovel-ready sites for larger commercial projects, he said. “Our planning has to contemplate economic development, not just residential,” Nance said. He offered up a few other ideas, from targeting businesses involved in agricultural research and development to encouraging the development of u-pick farms. “Who in this room does not enjoy u-picks?” he asked. “There are no places for u-picks anymore.” The commission workshop focused on four planning areas, including Golden Gate Estates and Immokalee. Everglades City also lumped into the discussions about the future role the rural area could play in diversifying the local economy. “You have open ground out there that is a blank sheet of paper,” Nance said. With its ideal weather, it’s not a stretch to imagine Collier County becoming a center of excellence for outdoor sports, such as soccer, by expanding its now-limited fields and courts on rural lands, he said. Other commissioners agreed, with Chairwoman Georgia Hiller adding that anything that stimulates sports will benefit the community. “Of course, at the end of the day, we want to be better than Colorado,” she said. “Just saying.” Hiller told commissioners she plans to bring a sports-related economic development proposal forward next week at Tuesday’s commission meeting. “Let’s get ready to rumble,” she added, sharing no other details. At the workshop, Bruce Register, Collier’s economic development director, told commissioners it’s important to first identify the primary principles and goals for rural areas, which should include continued support for agriculture where desired. He outlined the strengths and weaknesses in more remote areas. Positives include large amounts of raw, single-ownership land, airport access nearby, and an abundant, trainable workforce. Negatives include a lack of bank branches and financial services, a shortage of middle-income housing and high development costs. “Land, labor and capital remain the primary drivers for economic development,” Register said. “Leveraging our strengths and opportunities, while managing our weaknesses and challenges to the best advantage of both the rural and urban areas, will be critical to Collier’s economic development success.” Several speakers complained about the county’s complex land development code, saying its 900 policies and 700 goals are too much. They applauded commissioners’ receptiveness to new economic development opportunities, saying they were happy to see them looking at solutions. “We need to look at Immokalee as a destination, and not as a bypass. We need to change that,” Immokalee Area Civic Association President Pam Brown said. At the workshop, commissioners also heard about the county’s growing sports tourism industry, spurring talk about ways to grow it countywide. This year, 30 sporting events have brought in an estimated 29,000 visitors, who booked 13,000 room nights at area hotels, said Jack Wert, the county’s tourism director. The events — from soccer and pickleball tournaments to paddleboarding and martial arts competitions — have generated more than $12 million in direct visitor spending this year, he said. North Collier Regional Park, off Livingston Road, south of Immokalee Road, is a big draw, having hosted eight major soccer events, six baseball events and six softball events this year. “It supports a lot of jobs in Collier County,” Wert said. “When you bring visitors here, everybody in the community benefits. All businesses definitely benefit.” Chris O’Brien, the county’s sports marketing manager, outlined the strengths and weaknesses when it comes to drawing events to Collier. Positives include mild temperatures most of the year, a history of successful events, and its closeness to population centers in Florida such as Miami, Tampa and Orlando. Negatives include growing competition and limited funding for new sports-related development in the county. Among the biggest challenges is a limited number of courts and fields for tournament finals, high seasonal hotel rates, and no arenas or stadiums in the county. Next steps may include a formal study of needs, which could look at available land and finance options. The county needs a lot more of everything to effectively compete, O’Brien said. “We’ll do what we can do with what we do have,” he said.
Posted on: Wed, 04 Dec 2013 12:03:12 +0000
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