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The Forum at Fort Myers Unveils Anchor Tenant Line-Up
3/11/2008
FORT MYERS, FL — The retail line-up at The Forum at Fort Myers (www.forumatfortmyers.com) is taking shape. Household names in retail are set to open their doors this summer bringing hard and soft goods, along with service amenities, to the East Fort Myers community. The Forum at Fort Myers is part of Lee County’s premier 706-acre, master-planned, mixed-use regional destination that will have one million square feet of retail, 850,000 square feet of office space, 1,300 residential units and over 500 hotel rooms. The development is located to the east of I-75 between Colonial Boulevard and State Route 82.
“Despite the regional slowdown in housing starts, retail amenities are still needed for the existing population in East Fort Myers and beyond,” explains David Rattner, vice president of development, North American Properties. “Our primary trade area east of I-75 is one of the many underserved markets in this region with a strong population base and high incomes that justify another shopping destination.”
Target, Best Buy, Ross Dress for Less, Bed Bath & Beyond, Books-A-Million, Staples, Petco and Rack Room Shoes will join The Home Depot at the 480,000-square foot retail center, situated on 43 acres in the northeast corner of the I-75 and Colonial Boulevard interchange. SunTrust Bank secured one of the three outparcels available. Developed by North American Properties, the $60 million power center will also include approximately 46,000 square feet of small shop and restaurant space. The shopping destination is scheduled to open summer 2008.
“Demographics are ideal for retail, restaurants and entertainment,” continues Rattner. “Over 100,000 shoppers with disposable income reside within three miles of The Forum, and the average annual household income in the primary trade area, the southeast quadrant east of I-75, exceeds $100,000.”
The Forum at Fort Myers Development Update
The hospitality and office components at The Forum at Fort Myers are underway. Construction continues on the Holiday Inn Express, situated at the intersection of Colonial and Forum Boulevards and expected to open in November. Hyatt Place will commence construction this month and is expected to open early 2009 at the intersection of I-75 and State Route 82. Further, Phase I of Forum Corporate Park, a six-building, Class A office park developed by Songy Partners, is nearing completion with the first tenants expected to move-in by the end of March.
The Forum at Fort Myers is expected to be completed in 2010.
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