\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Three new toll roads in Florida will create jobs and open up areas for new homes and commuters. However, opinions run hot and cold on the issue as Floridians try to figure out the ways roads will benefit and hurt the rural communities they\u2019re designed to help.<\/div>\n

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. \u2013 Three new toll roads in Florida will create jobs. That much is clear \u2013 but the rest isn\u2019t when it comes to figuring out how the roads might benefit \u2013 or possibly hurt \u2013 the rural communities they\u2019re designed to help.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Will these roads lead to economic ruin or prosperity? Will they create the right kind of jobs in the right places? Arguments are being made on both sides \u2013 and the answers depend on who you ask, where they are and who they represent in the state.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

One reason the potential economic impact is so fuzzy? The exact routes haven\u2019t been determined for the roads that would expand Florida\u2019s toll system by more than 300 miles.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

There\u2019s been mixed reaction from government, business and community leaders in the counties, cities and towns that are part of the three study areas. Some want to see the roads move full-speed ahead, while others want to put the brakes on them, especially environmentalists who argue the costs will be much bigger than the benefits.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Then there are those who are somewhere in between, or just undecided.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

One toll road, called the Southwest-Central Florida Connector, would go from Collier County to Polk County.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Another, known as the Suncoast Connector, would extend from Citrus County to Jefferson County.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The other, named the Northern Turnpike Connector, would link the northern end of Florida\u2019s Turnpike to the Suncoast Parkway.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Road builders will benefit in a big way from the 10-year project. So will construction workers and landowners in their path. Supporters see lasting economic impacts in the communities they\u2019ll touch \u2013 and a change for the better.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

According to its website, the Multi-use Corridors of Regional Economic Significance (M-CORES) program is \u201cintended to revitalize rural communities, encourage job creation and provide regional connectivity while leveraging technology, enhancing the quality of life and public safety, and protecting the environment and natural resources.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Some of the touted benefits? Improved hurricane evacuation routes, shorter travel times, more trade opportunities, better logistics and enhanced broadband services.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u2018A very good thing\u2019<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n
In Collier County, some business and community leaders would welcome the new toll road with open arms, as a way to support growth, improve traffic flow and create jobs in poorer areas that need it most, such as Immokalee.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
\u201cSouthwest and Central Florida will benefit dramatically from a connector road like this, mostly for improved freight and trucking and distribution. That is really the biggest impact we would see in Southwest Florida,\u201d said Justin Thibaut, president of LSI Cos., a commercial real estate brokerage and development firm based in Fort Myers.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
The message he wants to get across? \u201cThis is a very good thing,\u201d he said. \u201cThis is something that is needed.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
The toll road will lead to more trade and commerce between Southwest Florida and other parts of the state and new construction and development along its route, translating to more jobs, Thibaut said.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
Danny Gonzalez, a business owner and president of the Immokalee Chamber of Commerce, couldn\u2019t agree more. He\u2019s a big cheerleader for the new road, saying it could put his heavily agricultural town \u201cback on the map.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
\u201cI will put my name on the line for this,\u201d he said. The chamber hasn\u2019t taken a stand one way or the other, but Gonzalez said he sees the many economic benefits that could come from the new road \u2013 including more development \u2013 and that\u2019s why he\u2019s \u201c100% supportive.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
\u201cWe need more housing here,\u201d he said. \u201cThere are a lot of people who want to live in Immokalee and stay in Immokalee, and this could open up jobs here. People can work and stay in Immokalee.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
His support for the new road, he said, doesn\u2019t mean he doesn\u2019t care about the environment, or the potential loss of farmland to development. Gonzalez grew up picking tomatoes in Immokalee, but it\u2019s a tough job that doesn\u2019t pay well, he said, and he wants to see better opportunities for future generations. \u201cWe need to make some changes and infrastructure will make a lot of good changes around us,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
The poverty rate in Immokalee is greater than 40%.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t have the Walmarts. We don\u2019t have the big-boxes and it\u2019s a struggle,\u201d Gonzalez said.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
\u2018Genius\u2019<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n
Jace Kentner, Collier County\u2019s former economic development director, said the toll road would be the \u201cbiggest economic engine\u201d to affect Collier County since medical device manufacturer Arthrex came to town decades ago. The North Naples-based manufacturer, which continues to expand, is one of the county\u2019s largest employers.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
\u201cThe exposure of north and eastern Collier County to transportation opens an economic corridor that would significantly impact and propel the diversification of Collier County,\u201d he said via email a few months ago.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
While there aren\u2019t many details on the proposed road yet, Kentner described the concept as \u201cgenius.\u201d The county, he said, can\u2019t compete for \u201cgreat companies looking to move to Florida\u201d because Interstate 75 is the only major artery and there isn\u2019t railroad access to transport goods to other parts of the state \u2013 or beyond.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
The Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce \u2013 a voice for Collier County businesses \u2013 hasn\u2019t taken a formal position on the connector, which some are calling the Heartland Parkway, but it\u2019s generally supportive, said President and CEO Michael Dalby. Such a parkway has been proposed before and never built.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
\u201cWe believe that the road can provide hurricane access and also be an economic driver, particularly for the rural community along the pathway,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
The new road could open the door for more manufacturers to locate in Southwest Florida, Dalby said, building on the opportunities that will arise from the expansion of the Airglades International Airport, which in itself is expected to add 1,000 jobs starting in 2021 with its transition into a multi-billion-dollar commercial hub for perishable cargo.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
Environmental groups in Southwest Florida and elsewhere in the state aren\u2019t as enthused about the toll roads, fearing they\u2019ll lead to more sprawl and do more harm to wildlife, including the endangered Florida panther, which mostly roams in the southern parts of the state, including rural Collier County.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
The project looks to be \u201cfinancially irresponsible as well as environmentally reckless,\u201d Julianne Thomas, a senior environmental planning specialist with the Conservancy of Southwest Florida, recently told a Naples Daily News reporter.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s difficult for us to conceive of a path that would be acceptable,\u201d Thomas said. \u201cThat wouldn\u2019t impact a huge amount of wetlands, that wouldn\u2019t fragment Florida panther habitat, that could in any way be acceptable to our organization.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
No Roads to Ruin Coalition<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n
Florida environmentalists have teamed up to fight each of the toll roads, forming the No Roads to Ruin Coalition. Cris Costello, an organizing manager for the Sierra Club and a coalition leader, said the new roads could result in sprawl or just the opposite \u2013 bypassing the rural communities they\u2019re meant to help and draining away their traffic and any prospect of economic activity.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
\u201cRoads don\u2019t necessarily bring people out of poverty,\u201d she said. \u201cThey can add to it.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
She pointed out that South Florida has many toll roads, and it still has high poverty rates, especially Miami-Dade County. While the exits near the new toll roads could create jobs around them, Costello questions whether they\u2019ll be the right kind of jobs.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
\u201cDo they want a McDonald\u2019s and a gas station and a Burger King and a Kentucky Fried Chicken or maybe a Village Inn? Or do they want local businesses, where the profits actually stay in the community and don\u2019t go out of the community?\u201d she asked.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
She suggests the new businesses could hurt the local mom and pops that have operated for years \u2013 and questions whether the new employers will pay a living wage.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
Diana Umpierre, Everglades organizer for the Sierra Club, said a rural community doesn\u2019t need a new highway to be strong. There are many factors that can make a community strong, she said, from the incentives they offer to help businesses thrive to the amenities they provide to help residents live a good life. The tight deadlines for the three task forces that are scrutinizing the projects \u2013 and the tight timelines for construction \u2013 could lead to poor planning and to the repeat of past mistakes, such as the draining of the Everglades, Umpierre said.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
\u201cThese rural areas, these counties, we want them to prosper,\u201d she said, \u201cbut we don\u2019t want to make the same mistakes like we\u2019ve done in the past.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
The task forces are slated to deliver their final analysis and reports by Oct. 1. The goal is to start construction by 2022.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
Keeping up with growth<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n
A coalition called Connecting Florida has formed to push for the toll roads. Members include such organizations as the Florida Chamber of Commerce, the American Council of Engineering Companies of Florida, the Florida Council of 100 and the Florida Trucking Association.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
David Hart, executive vice president of the Florida Chamber, one of the biggest proponents of the toll roads, said they\u2019re critical to support Florida\u2019s growth \u2013 and without them growth could be hampered.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
Between now and 2030, the state is expected to grow by 4.5 million people. The state has been adding more than 900 new residents each day \u2013 and at the same time tourism has been growing, putting more traffic and congestion on the state\u2019s roads.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
Although the state is thriving with historically low unemployment, some rural counties, cities and towns have been stagnant and feel left behind, including places such as Hendry County in Southwest Florida, which continues to have the state\u2019s highest jobless rate, Hart said.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
\u201cWith a state like Florida, growing as fast as we are, we have to make investments in infrastructure, or we are going to have frustrated citizens, frustrated visitors, and in many ways harm our opportunities for economic growth,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
He points out there was strong opposition to Florida\u2019s Turnpike, which opened in stages between 1957 and 1964, and to Alligator Alley, which debuted in 1968, connecting the east and west coasts of Florida via Broward and Collier counties.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
\u201cCan you imagine if we didn\u2019t have those linkages?\u201d he asked.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
Roads can be huge drivers of economic growth, as shown by the construction of new highways and by expansion projects across the state over the years, Hart said. Based on the latest statistics he\u2019s seen, Hart said investments in infrastructure can generate $4.40 of economic impact for every $1 spent.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
The cost to build the three roads has been estimated at as much as $10 billion, so using that formula they could generate an economic impact of $44 billion.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
The Florida Chamber supports the roads for several reasons, including the potential to improve internet connectivity and to make hurricane evacuations smoother and safer in the more rural areas of the state.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
Costly congestion<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n
Ken Armstrong, CEO of the Florida Trucking Association, said his group supports the roads because alternative routes are needed for transporting goods and the interstate system \u2013 designed so many years ago \u2013 doesn\u2019t cut it.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
\u201cFlorida\u2019s roads are so congested now that the cost back in 2018 from trucks going substantially under the speed limit was $5.6 billion. \u2026 So that is $5.6 billion extra people are paying for all those goods, milk, oranges, furniture and fuel and everything else, on those trucks,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
In other words it isn\u2019t just a problem for truckers, Armstrong argued.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
\u201cI want it to get better before it gets worse,\u201d he said. \u201cIf Florida continues to grow and if we don\u2019t find a way to reduce congestion, not just for trucks, but cars as well, we are all going to regret it.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
What happens to the communities alongside the new roads will depend heavily on what those communities decide they want, whether they want to draw in new industry and create jobs or to remain more quiet, slower-paced communities, Armstrong said.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
\u201cThere are a lot of possibilities these corridors will open up,\u201d he said, \u201cbut I don\u2019t think anybody knows for sure what will happen in a certain county or certain city along the roads. We\u2019re just too early in the process to know that.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
Matthew Simmons, a principal with Maxwell, Hendry & Simmons, real estate appraisers and consultants in Fort Myers, agrees. Unlike some critics, he doesn\u2019t believe the new toll roads will lead to sprawl since they\u2019ll be limited access roads, which means exits will be fewer and farther between and they\u2019ll be designed for longer-distance commutes, not for day-to-day traffic.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
\u201cI think that so much of what this looks like in its impact is just going to be a function of where it goes, and we just don\u2019t know that yet,\u201d Simmons said.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
As for where the roads will go, he said the state will likely look for the \u201cpaths of least resistance,\u201d where owners are more willing to sell their land to make way for the projects. Otherwise, if the state has to take the land by eminent domain, it could increase costs and delay construction, Simmons said.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
Sorely needed<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n
Several local governments have passed resolutions in favor of the toll roads, including Madison and Taylor counties. County commissioners in Madison want a road that will intersect with Interstate 10 in their backyard, said Brian Kauffman, county coordinator, in an email.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
\u201cWe believe this project will help stimulate economic development for our communities,\u201d he said. \u201cUnlike the rest of the state, the rural counties in Florida have not recovered from the economic recession.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
While some opponents worry about urban sprawl, the financially constrained county desperately needs growth, Kauffman said.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
\u201cOn average, we issue only two to three building permits per month,\u201d he said. \u201cOne site-built house and one or two mobile homes, and one of those mobile homes is probably a replacement for a mobile home that is falling down.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
County leaders believe the M-Cores project will help Madison create more job opportunities, particularly in light industry and logistics, attract more residents and lure more tourists, as well as provide more affordable access to high-speed internet.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
The poorest county in Florida, Madison has a poverty rate of nearly 32%, with 15% of its households earning less than $10,000 a year. The population has been shrinking, not growing.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
Edward Dean, town manager of Greenville in Madison County, said his area is one of the poorest in the state, with a poverty rate of 48% \u2013 and a 60% unemployment rate for young adults, ages 16-24. \u201cThere is poor. There is dirt poor and there\u2019s what I call clay poor. We\u2019re clay poor,\u201d he said. The town and the county are what the \u201clack of economic development stimulus looks like,\u201d Dean said, and it isn\u2019t pretty.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
\u201cOur community is crumbling right before our eyes. Literally,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
Last year, he had to fight to keep Greenville\u2019s elementary school, the city\u2019s only public school and largest employer, open, due to budgetary concerns. He doesn\u2019t want to have to do it again.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
Prayers answered<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n
The toll road is the \u201cthing that quite frankly we have been praying for,\u201d Dean said, noting that the town started losing its luster when drivers no longer had to go through Greenville to get to Tallahassee, with the opening of alternate routes.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
\u201cYou have to find some way to repurpose yourself, in order to be able to survive,\u201d Dean said. \u201cAnd this sort of thing with having a toll road, even if it only brings in convenience stores and gas stations, it would be enough to at least try and maintain the status quo and keep our schools open. But I think it will be much more of a boom.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
Dean would throw his arms open to any fast-food restaurant, from an IHOP to a Denny\u2019s, and eagerly take the jobs they\u2019d create. As for the local businesses in the town, Dean said he could probably count them on one hand, if he doesn\u2019t include the ones that are shutting down.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
\u201cI have two gas stations that have been empty for over 10 years,\u201d he said. \u201cI had to condemn those buildings.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
Greenville will get its first new buildings in decades with the help of nearly $2 million in federal grants that will fund a project called City Center. The project will have a community center for youth and seniors and a much-needed grocery store. Now, the closest grocery store is about 30 minutes away by car \u2013 and many residents don\u2019t have a car.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
\u201cHope. That\u2019s what Greenville\u2019s new City Center is giving to the community by turning a food desert into fertile ground,\u201d Dean said.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
Other groups who see hope in the new roads include the Hernando\/Citrus Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), whose board adopted a resolution in support of all three of them a year ago. The MPO\u2019s board has consistently voiced the importance of extending the Suncoast Parkway to the north beyond Citrus County to ease traffic congestion, promote economic development and enhance public safety.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
Floridians for Better Transportation are among other supporters, along with individuals such as former Florida Congressman Steve Southerland, now a lobbyist and partner with Capitol Hill Consulting Group.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
\u201cThe M-Cores plan will allow Florida time to study innovative ideas that best utilize our state\u2019s resources in meeting our future expansion and growth needs, and enable our state in developing our future trade and business opportunities,\u201d he said in a statement.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
In Levy County, county commissioners haven\u2019t taken a position for or against the proposed toll road.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
\u201cWe have more questions than answers,\u201d said Matt Brooks, a county commissioner, via email. \u201cIt\u2019s very much preliminary when there are zero proposed routes and we cannot determine the impact to our county or in a certain area,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
Not excited<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n
In Jefferson County, there\u2019s not as much excitement about the toll roads. Doug Darling, president of Citizens for Responsible Government of Jefferson County, said the majority of small business owners and landowners oppose the Suncoast Connector. There have been no economic studies done to show the jobs or long-term economic development the connector might bring to the county \u2013 or studies of the county\u2019s environmental assets to ensure they\u2019re protected, from its natural springs to its wildlife, he said.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
\u201cThere have been no traffic studies saying we really need this,\u201d Darling added.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
The gas stations, convenience stores, fast-food restaurants and hotels that would likely locate near the exits aren\u2019t the kind of economic development the county needs, he said, or should want.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
\u201cWe want organic economic development,\u201d Darling said. An example of that: A new growing plant by Trulieve, Florida\u2019s largest licensed cannabis company, which is going to create high-wage, high-skilled jobs in the county, Darling said.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
He criticizes the review process for the new roads, saying the task force meetings run long and provide little information, with questions and comments from the public taken after the meetings conclude and some of their members have already walked out. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
Jefferson County and its only city of Monticello are just recovering from the construction of Interstate 10, which created an alternate travel route to U.S. 90 that bypasses the heart of town, Darling said. Merchants have made a comeback by finding ways to lure drivers in from I-10, which is also a limited access road, but not a toll road, by creating a niche, from the charming shops that sell antiques to the quaint restaurants that serve farm-fresh food, he said.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
A strong economy depends on having a trained and ready workforce, but that\u2019s been a struggle in Jefferson County, where the public school system had to be taken over by a private operator after more than a decade of failure.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
\u201cIf somebody wants to help Jefferson County,\u201d Darling said, \u201ccome and help us fix our school system.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
\u00a9 2020 Journal Media Group, Laura Layden<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n
Go to Source<\/a>
\nAuthor: kerrys<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Three new toll roads in Florida will create jobs and open up areas for new homes and commuters. However, opinions run hot and cold on the issue as Floridians try to figure out the ways roads will benefit and hurt the rural communities they\u2019re designed to help. TALLAHASSEE, Fla. \u2013 Three new toll roads in Florida will create jobs. That much is clear \u2013 but the rest isn\u2019t when it comes to figuring out how the roads might benefit \u2013 or possibly hurt \u2013 the rural communities they\u2019re designed to help. Will these roads lead to economic ruin or prosperity? Will they create the right kind of jobs in the right places? Arguments are being made on both sides \u2013 and the answers depend on who you ask, where they are and who they represent in the state. One reason the potential economic impact is so fuzzy? The exact routes haven\u2019t been determined for the roads that would expand Florida\u2019s toll system by more than 300 miles. There\u2019s been mixed reaction from government, business and community leaders in the counties, cities and towns that are part of the three study areas. Some want to see the roads move full-speed ahead, while others want to put the brakes on them, especially environmentalists who argue the costs will be much bigger than the benefits. Then there are those who are somewhere in between, or just undecided. One toll road, called the Southwest-Central Florida Connector, would go from Collier County to Polk County. Another, known as the Suncoast Connector, would extend from Citrus County to Jefferson County. The other, named the Northern Turnpike Connector, would link the northern end of Florida\u2019s Turnpike to the Suncoast Parkway. Road builders will benefit in a big way from the 10-year project. So will construction workers and landowners in their path. Supporters see lasting economic impacts in the communities they\u2019ll touch \u2013 and a change for the better. According to its website, the Multi-use Corridors of Regional Economic Significance (M-CORES) program is \u201cintended to revitalize rural communities, encourage job creation and provide regional connectivity while leveraging technology, enhancing the quality of life and public safety, and protecting the environment and natural resources.\u201d Some of the touted benefits? Improved hurricane evacuation routes, shorter travel times, more trade opportunities, better logistics and enhanced broadband services. \u2018A very good thing\u2019 In Collier County, some business and community leaders would welcome the new toll road with open arms, as a way to support growth, improve traffic flow and create jobs in poorer areas that need it most, such as Immokalee. \u201cSouthwest and Central Florida will benefit dramatically from a connector road like this, mostly for improved freight and trucking and distribution. That is really the biggest impact we would see in Southwest Florida,\u201d said Justin Thibaut, president of LSI Cos., a commercial real estate brokerage and development firm based in Fort Myers. The message he wants to get across? \u201cThis is a very good thing,\u201d he said. \u201cThis is something that is needed.\u201d The toll road will lead to more trade and commerce between Southwest Florida and other parts of the state and new construction and development along its route, translating to more jobs, Thibaut said. Danny Gonzalez, a business owner and president of the Immokalee Chamber of Commerce, couldn\u2019t agree more. He\u2019s a big cheerleader for the new road, saying it could put his heavily agricultural town \u201cback on the map.\u201d \u201cI will put my name on the line for this,\u201d he said. The chamber hasn\u2019t taken a stand one way or the other, but Gonzalez said he sees the many economic benefits that could come from the new road \u2013 including more development \u2013 and that\u2019s why he\u2019s \u201c100% supportive.\u201d \u201cWe need more housing here,\u201d he said. \u201cThere are a lot of people who want to live in Immokalee and stay in Immokalee, and this could open up jobs here. People can work and stay in Immokalee.\u201d His support for the new road, he said, doesn\u2019t mean he doesn\u2019t care about the environment, or the potential loss of farmland to development. Gonzalez grew up picking tomatoes in Immokalee, but it\u2019s a tough job that doesn\u2019t pay well, he said, and he wants to see better opportunities for future generations. \u201cWe need to make some changes and infrastructure will make a lot of good changes around us,\u201d he said. The poverty rate in Immokalee is greater than 40%. \u201cWe don\u2019t have the Walmarts. We don\u2019t have the big-boxes and it\u2019s a struggle,\u201d Gonzalez said. \u2018Genius\u2019 Jace Kentner, Collier County\u2019s former economic development director, said the toll road would be the \u201cbiggest economic engine\u201d to affect Collier County since medical device manufacturer Arthrex came to town decades ago. The North Naples-based manufacturer, which continues to expand, is one of the county\u2019s largest employers. \u201cThe exposure of north and eastern Collier County to transportation opens an economic corridor that would significantly impact and propel the diversification of Collier County,\u201d he said via email a few months ago. While there aren\u2019t many details on the proposed road yet, Kentner described the concept as \u201cgenius.\u201d The county, he said, can\u2019t compete for \u201cgreat companies looking to move to Florida\u201d because Interstate 75 is the only major artery and there isn\u2019t railroad access to transport goods to other parts of the state \u2013 or beyond. The Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce \u2013 a voice for Collier County businesses \u2013 hasn\u2019t taken a formal position on the connector, which some are calling the Heartland Parkway, but it\u2019s generally supportive, said President and CEO Michael Dalby. Such a parkway has been proposed before and never built. \u201cWe believe that the road can provide hurricane access and also be an economic driver, particularly for the rural community along the pathway,\u201d he said. The new road could open the door for more manufacturers to locate in Southwest Florida, Dalby said, building on the opportunities that will arise from the expansion of the Airglades International Airport, which in itself is<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":4505,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nwfl4sale.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4504"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nwfl4sale.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nwfl4sale.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nwfl4sale.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nwfl4sale.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4504"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/nwfl4sale.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4504\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nwfl4sale.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4505"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nwfl4sale.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4504"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nwfl4sale.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4504"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nwfl4sale.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4504"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}