Lehigh Acres

Call it a small town U.S.A, a working-class neighborhood or subdivision, Lehigh Acres is due to grow residentially and commercially in the years ahead, due in part to the a newly widened gateway road leading to its doorsteps.

Lehigh residents and business people recently celebrated the widening of an approximately seven-mile stretch of County Road 884, or Lee Boulevard, with a ribbon cutting on Sept. 25. The $11.3 million construction project began back in Nov. 1996, and the finishing touches were put in place in September, making the gateway into Lehigh a safer, quicker route.

What was once a two-lane stretch of road with rough shoulders on either side has been transformed into six-lanes with gutters and sidewalks. "It made it much safer," Lee Senior Project Manager Saeed Kazemi said of the roadwork.

Initially the county had though of only widening to four lanes, Kazemi said, but decided it would be more cost efficient in the long run to go straight up to six lanes at one time. And based on growth projections - the Lehigh Acres population, estimated at 29,986 in 1996, is expected to grow to 33,206 by 2001 - the choice seems to be a good one.

The 45-mph speed limit along the newly widened stretch may be increased to 50, Kazemi added. But motorists in a hurry should beware -- toward the center of town, the limit drops to 35.

Road to Somewhere

The length of 884 from Interstate 75 exit 22 to Lehigh may appear longer than it actually is due to the expanses of largely vacant property to both the north and south. But real estate signs begin to pop up as one approaches the town, suggesting that won't be the case for much longer.

"Healthy," is the short and sharp description Frank D'Alessandro applies to Lehigh as it is today. "Let's put it this way," says D'Alessandro, "it really is a healthy market

out there."

D'Alessandro, CEO of commercial real estate brokers Grubb & Ellis/VIP -- D'Alessandro, attributes this desirable state of affairs for home buyers, retailers and indeed his own industry to a number of factors including road development and the fact that housing is affordable and is situated at high elevation.

D'Alessandro recalls that around 40 years ago the 100 square mile sub-division was divided into 100,000 lots that were sold to people all over the world for almost nominal amounts.

Where people settle, of course, service industries follow, and over the years the infrastructure of Lehigh took shape. But it's been the past five years, says D'Alessandro, that have been particularly significant.

"In that time," he says, "we've seen a new K Mart come in, and also a Wal-Mart superstore as well as several restaurant chains such as Perkins, and many free-standing retailers such as Auto Parts Store and Autozone. These additions were a direct result of the rapid population growth in the area."

Realtor Joe Rapisaldi of Lehigh-based Realty World agrees that the commercial sector has been clipping along, presenting more opportunities. "It's very healthy," he said of the local economy.

Commercial offerings can run the whole gamut on any given day, he says, from laundromats to physicians' offices to restaurants. There's plenty to chose from.

Conveniences, which negate many long trips back and forth to central Fort Myers, include:

** The East Pointe Hospital, a division of Columbia's operations in Southwest Florida. The hospital has additionally attracted medical offices, including two larger facilities now under construction close by.

** Schools up to the high school level, churches and community park areas.

** Grocery stores including mom-and-pop markets like Jack's Grocery and bigger stores like Publix and Kash N' Karry.

** Drug and retail stores as well as convenience stores, gas stations and bank branches.

In fact, says Rapisaldi, you can find just about everything you need in Lehigh, save an occasional trip to the Edison Mall. "It's getting to be self sufficient," he says.

Growth Opportunites

Understandably, real estate agents are seeing plenty of activity in the areas of residential home building and the sales of commercial lots. An average residential lot sells for around $3,500, and an average commercial lot off Lee Boulevard fetches about $6.50 a square foot.

One of the factors D'Alessandro attributes to Lehigh's commercial shot in the arm is the extension of Colonial Boulevard into Cape Coral via the Midpoint Bridge, which gave Lehigh Acres "a nice, bright and shiny new front door with easy access."

Another reason for the focus on Lehigh, whose elevation, incidentally, means less fill is required for housing construction, and therefore cuts costs, is the expansion of utilities such as water and sewage, D'Alessandro says.

On the drawing board right now, he adds, is the extension of Daniels Parkway from the Gateway/airport area up to Gunnery Road. "With that new access to the airport, shopping and beaches," he says, "it's going to make yet another difference for the area."

Commercial opportunities abound along the road, where a 7-Eleven is set to pop up at the corner of Lee Boulevard. Vacant lots along the road are now only about $2 a square foot, says Rapisaldi -- an extraordinary deal given the area's potential.