Space for good

The sometimes art, sometimes science, of creatively using empty or underutilized commercial real estate space has a stellar example in Collier County.

That's where a partnership between Florida Community Bank and The Immokalee Foundation resulted in the FCB Impact Center. The 5,605-square-foot center, at 1400 N. 15th St., Immokalee, is a collection of local nonprofit organizations that serve Immokalee and Collier County. Most agencies have a focus on services for low- and moderate-income residents of rural Immokalee.

In addition to The Immokalee Foundation, organizations housed within the FCB Impact Center, according to a statement, include One by One Leadership; ICO Arts; Taste of Immokalee; Goodwill Job Link; AARP; Lighthouse Center for the Blind; H.E.L.P. of Collier County; and Legal Aid. These organizations were leasing space throughout Collier County, including Immokalee. “The combination of providers at the center reflects a broad scope of services available to the residents of Immokalee,” says Steven Kissinger, The Immokalee Foundation's executive director, in the statement.