Moving on up

One of the largest builders in the Naples-Fort Myers market is expanding northward, seeking to capitalize on the construction boom in and around downtown Sarasota.

Bonita Springs-based Gates Construction first announced it planned to open an office in Sarasota in February. More recently Gates officials announced the company merged with Sarasota-based Storie Construction Group, a 12-employee firm with past and present clients that include Starbucks, Goodwill and Dollar Tree. Mark Card, owner of Storie, was named principal of the Sarasota office.

“We have some high-profile projects coming up in Sarasota, and we want to have a local presence there,” Gates Founder and Chairman Todd Gates tells Coffee Talk.

The new Gates Sarasota is at 2 North Tamiami Trail, Suite 204. A full service general contracting firm that provides construction management and design-build services, Gates also has offices in North Carolina and the Republic of Panama, in addition to the Bonita Springs headquarters. Founded in 1993, first as Gates McVey, the company works in a variety of sectors, including multifamily, hospitality, retail, office and government.

Todd Gates says in addition to the upcoming projects, the Sarasota market is a desirable spot because the demographics are similar to Naples and Bonita Springs. Asked if he's worried the market is nearing the end of the boom cycle, the longtime construction executive cites Florida migration data. That, and the truism that all those new residents will need places to live, work and play. Says Gates: “The bottom line is 6 million people will be moving to Florida by 2030.”