Gartner begins major Fort Myers expansion

Gartner Inc., an event planning and consultancy to several types of businesses worldwide, has begun a major expansion to its Fort Myers operation that will likely eventually double the company’s space in Lee County.

The Stamford, Conn.-based firm, which has roughly 1,600 employees in Fort Myers, has retained an Atlanta-based development firm, TPA Group, to develop a new complex of three new office and amenity buildings on land owned by the Lee County Airport Authority.

GaganDeep Singh, a company group vice president of real estate and workforce planning, says the decision to expand in Fort Myers stemmed from tremendous company growth in four sectors: sales, event planning, financial and other support divisions and advisory services.

Gartner currently occupies four buildings totaling roughly 300,000 square feet at 12651 Gateway Blvd.

Under its plan, TPA will develop another trio of loosely connected buildings for the company subject to a long-term lease totaling about 240,000 square feet, Singh says.

The first of two new offices — a third building will house amenities such as a cafeteria and a fitness center — is under construction now and is scheduled for completion in October.

Singh says the second office building, along with the amenity center, is expected to be completed sometime in 2019.

“We’re pretty much packed at this point there,” Singh says. “So this new development will allow us to almost double our capacity.”

Gartner in the past five years has become one of Lee County’s largest private-sector employers. In 2012, the company had a staff of 350; by the end of last year, that number had climbed to 1,600.

“We expect to grow at a similar rate going forward,” Singh says. “We like Fort Myers.”

He notes, though, the company’s growth has been global in nature. Gartner has more than 12,000 clients in more than 100 countries, according to its website. Last year it generated revenue of more than $2.5 billion.