Hizzoner welcomes developers

Fort Myers Mayor Randy Henderson is making a big push to make the city developer friendly again.

“The political body is ready to shepherd you through the process,” Henderson recently told a group of real estate developers, attorneys and bankers. Henderson, a downtown developer himself, ordered a review of taxes on new construction, also known as “impact fees.” He suggested the city might waive such fees for roads for as long as five years.

In addition, Henderson says there's a move to establish a taxing district that will stretch from downtown Fort Myers to the Page Field airport on Cleveland Avenue, the city's main north-south artery. The mayor promised “incentives galore” to developers and investors who build along that corridor.

Henderson also hinted at plans for First Street Village, a mixed-use residential and commercial project planned next to the new Publix downtown that has been stalled by the recession. Henderson says he's met with an undisclosed group of equity investors from Denver who plan to take over the project from the current owner, Cameratta Properties, after the site undergoes a “friendly foreclosure” process later this year. “I met with them and they're for real,” he says.

But Henderson says he's worried that approval of Amendment 4 on the November ballot could wreck the city's plans for future growth. It's a state constitutional amendment that would require voter approval of development projects.

“Amendment 4 will kill us,” Henderson says. “If you're in favor of it, check with me after the meeting and I'll try to talk you out of it.”