Collier County Supervisor of Elections moving to former E.B. Simmonds HQ

BUYER: Collier County, Naples
SELLER: Kiropa Island LLC
PROPERTY: 3750 Enterprise Ave., Naples
PRICE: $3.34 million
PREVIOUS PRICE: $2.5 million, October 2013

PLANS, DESCRIPTION:
Collier County government purchased a 15,716-square-foot, three-story office building and an adjacent 14,746-square-foot warehouse building for $3.34 million.

The price equated to $110 per square foot for the total space. That figure is lower than the two-year average price per square foot for office space ($131) in Southwest Florida, but higher than the two-year average for industrial space ($90), according to the CoStar Group.

The buildings will serve as the new home to the Collier County Supervisor of Elections, which is currently spread between three locations.

“We've been looking for 30,000 to 40,000 square feet,” Collier County Supervisor of Elections Jennifer Edward says. “It's challenging to find a property that size in Collier County. We have to train over 800 election workers. In order to stage elections we had to move our equipment over 20 times. We're looking forward to having all of our staff together for the efficiency and brainpower of getting everyone together.”

The new property had the added advantage, she says, of being close to the county complex. The property has 60 parking spaces.

The supervisor's office has a full-time staff of 22.

The county plans to renovate the two buildings with the goal of relocating in November 2015 to prepare for the 2016 presidential election.

Dougall McCorkle of Premier Commercial Inc. represented the seller and Bill Gonnering and Christine McManus of Investment Properties Corp. represented the buyer. McCorkle previously represented the property in late 2013, when it was bought by current seller, the South Dakota investment partnership Kiropa Island LLC.

Electrical contractor E.B. Simmonds Electrical built the two-building property in 2007 to serve as that company's headquarters.

“Not only does it consolidate the election board's current facilities at one location, but it allows for the storage of voting equipment in its bunker-like warehouse construction as well as housing the staff and interfacing with the public in a more efficient and professional setting,” McCorkle says in a press release.