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Creating a regional economic development effort isn't easy.
Just ask the Tampa Bay Partnership, which barely survived through years of acrimonious economic development warfare between Hillsborough and Pinellas counties when it was formed in the mid-1990s.
Now Lee and Collier counties are going to give the regional effort a try. Economic development officials from both counties recently formed the Southwest Florida Economic Development Alliance, which they hope will give the region a greater voice in recruiting industry and jobs to the area by pooling resources. Southwest Florida is the only populous region of the state without such an effort, they note.
Already, the newly formed organization says it has received $100,000 in annual pledges for the next three years from nonprofits such as the United Way and private firms such as developer The Lutgert Cos. The pledges range from $5,000 to $10,000 a year.
It's likely county government will add some money to the effort, too, once it sees a commitment from the private sector. The idea is to have an organization and website ready by January and develop a regional economic development strategy by the spring.
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