Village approves 340-bed retirement community

ESTERO — The newly incorporated village of Estero approved a 340-bed continuing-care retirement community and 15,000 square feet of medical office space.

According to commercial real estate firm LandQwest Commercial, this is the first time Estero approved a rezoning request since it became a municipality last year. The village's city council unanimously approved the facility on land originally zoned for 200,000 square feet of offices and shops.

“This was a very important accomplishment for the city,” says Adam Palmer, managing director of office and investment services for LandQwest Commercial, in a statement. “Many inside and out of the industry have been pessimistic about getting new entitlements for development in Estero. This rezoning will prove that if the project makes sense, the city is not going to stand in the way.”

Volunteers of America, a faith-based organization with a corporate office in St. Petersburg, plans to start construction on the continuing-care retirement facility in Estero in 2017. It currently operates Gulf Coast Village in Cape Coral, among other Florida locations.