Lee County and Port Authority Commissioner Cecil Pendergrass wanted to make sure that when Arthrex decided to expand, the expansion would include his jurisdiction.
Pendergrass’ wish was granted Jan. 16, when he and the rest of the Board of Port Commissioners voted unanimously to approve a lease-build agreement for Arthrex to construct a 1 million-square-foot logistics facility at Skyplex, a master-planned business area just north of Southwest Florida International Airport.
The site will be just across Paul J. Doherty Parkway from where Gartner and Alta Resources have their own lease agreements at Skyplex.
Arthrex said it expected construction to cost between $150 and $200 million. A construction contractor has yet to be selected.
The new facility will allow Arthrex to consolidate its two existing Lee County facilities into one. The orthopedic surgical instruments company has yet to decide the futures of Arthrex Logistics Center at 14550 Plantation Road in south Fort Myers and a leased facility off Airport Haul Road.
Arthrex also uses a manufacturing plant in Ave Maria in addition to its corporate campus off Immokalee Road in North Naples.
The port authority has 33 months to pay for and solidify all the required land entitlements and get 44 acres “shovel ready” for Arthrex, the lease agreement said. Per the contract, the port authority will be paying for tons of fill to be placed on the site, which includes part of a large retention pond that will have to be filled.
Arthrex will pay a $700,000 deposit and then 20% of the property lease during construction, an amount that has yet to be determined by appraisers, the lease said.
“Generally speaking, industrial land prices in Lee County for areas proximate to [Interstate] 75 have been in the $8 to $14-per-square-foot range recently, depending on a variety of factors,” said Matt Simmons, a property appraiser for Maxwell, Hendry & Simmons. “The two biggest factors that often determine where an industrial site comes in at on price is the location/access/visibility of the site and the physical characteristics of the site.”
Arthrex said it plans to build 800,000 square feet of space for logistics and 200,000 square feet of office space.
The facility will be built adjacent to where FedEx and UPS planes are parked on RSW’s tarmac.
“It’s also going to help with traffic,” Pendergrass said. “Instead of bringing all of their equipment from Naples to Plantation Road, they’ll be doing all of their shipping right next to the airport.”
Fellow Commissioner Brian Hamman needed no time to debate his yes vote.
“That will be a catalyst that will help us launch Skyplex into the future,” Hamman said. “We always envisioned Skyplex as being a job creator. A center where people will create jobs, and people will come and work there.”
Commissioner Kevin Ruane said the lease agreement exemplified Lee County’s economic resiliency.
Gary Tasman
“Listen, everything that’s going on here is amazing,” Ruane said. “You know what? Since the pandemic, I recognize the challenges. I recognize the hyper-growth we’re going through. It’s just another good thing that’s going on here. Better jobs, better expansion. I’m thrilled about this.”
Gary Tasman, CEO of Cushman & Wakefield Southwest Florida, played a pivotal role in planning Skyplex, dividing it into three sections with different themes for each section.
Skyplex East will include logistics centers such as Arthrex.
Skyplex Central could have an entertainment component with hotels, Tasman said.
Skyplex West will focus on health care and human services.
To land Arthrex bodes well for the future of Skyplex, he said.
“It really is a win-win-win,” Tasman said. “It’s a win for the county. It’s a win for the port authority. It’s a win for our community. And certainly, it’s a win for Arthrex, as well.”
