Get ready to roll

The first speaker at a recent packed real estate conference in Fort Myers wasn't a builder, developer or financier.

It was Ron Toll, the provost of Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers, who reminded his audience that the university was one of the few bright spots during the real estate crash.

Fact is, the university sustained many construction-related firms through the dark days of the recession when virtually no private-sector building was going on. When the university saw its first class in 1997, it had three buildings. Now, there are 90 major buildings on the campus accommodating 14,100 students near Interstate 75 and Alico Road.