Sarasota: no business; Fort Myers: divided

Sarasota: zero business Fort Myers: divided

Fort Myers is chasing Tampa for future growth, outpacing Sarasota.

So says Patrick Leardo, former global head of real estate consulting for PricewaterhouseCoopers and now principal of Domain Capital Advisors. Leardo was speaking to developers and builders recently at an Urban Land Institute meeting in Bonita Springs.

Despite the fact that he owns a home and commercial property in Sarasota, Leardo says the county has “zero business.” He says the county's sole economic-development focus relies on attracting wealthy retirees. “Even professionals can't make money in Sarasota,” Leardo says. “There's nothing going on.”

By contrast, the Fort Myers area will be competitive with Tampa, but only if it can act regionally. “You're not unified,” Leardo says. “You don't have a plan.”