Real estate will lead us out

With all the talk about economic diversification, it's not politically correct to suggest that real estate will be the leading economic driver when the recovery takes hold on the Gulf Coast.

Fact is, government and other anti-growth types don't get along well with developers and builders who create jobs and decent wages.

So it was refreshing to hear James Moore, director of the Fort Myers Regional Partnership, Lee County's economic development arm, tell a group of real estate executives in Bonita Springs recently that a recovery will depend on them.

“Real estate led us into this recession and real estate will lead us out,” Moore says.

What the anti-growth crowd often fails to realize is that all these flashy technology companies they hope to attract will need land and buildings to work in. Kudos to
Moore for saying this out loud.