Economist: Fort Myers-Naples No. 3 nationally for office space use

Economic growth in Florida has outpaced the nation, and in Southwest Florida, it is even more pronounced, according to Kevin Thorpe, chief economist and head of global research at Cushman & Wakefield US. 

The economic growth rate in Southwest Florida is 6.7%, compared with 6.2% for Florida overall and 3.4% for the United States, Thorpe says.

“You can just feel the economic activity everywhere here,” Thorpe said recently, when delivering an economic forecast to the Horizon Council, a group supporting economic development in Lee County. The area has seen “explosive growth largely fueled by the influx of businesses coming to your market."