Fort Myers land sold for future fire station

Fort Myers

Used car dealer buys RV property for headquarters 

Lee Auto Group, a used car dealer in Fort Myers, has bought the site of a former RV dealership, where it plans to move its headquarters. The property is at 16065 S. Tamiami Trail, Fort Myers. It is 7.8-acres and includes a 7,992-square-foot building. Lee Auto, which also has a lot in Tampa, paid $3.75 million for the site, according to LSI Cos., which brokered the deal. LSI says the property will be Lee’s main retail location. It was previously owned by a family trust, which first purchased the property as an LLC in 2016 for $1.7 million, according to Lee County property records. The LLC, managed by Thomas Wegge, transferred it to the Wegge Revocable Living Trust in 2025. Blue Compass RV, which moved into a new facility at 8995 Colonial Center Dr. in February, previously occupied the property. LSI’s Sawyer Gregory, Alex Henderson and Max Molloy represented the seller in the deal. The firm’s Alec Burke represented Lee Auto.

Fire district buys land for just over $2 million

South Trail Fire Protection & Rescue Service District has bought an 8.22-acre parcel in Fort Myers. The property is at 12700 Ben C. Pratt Six Mile Cypress Parkway, between two apartment complexes. South Trail paid $2.02 million for the land. The seller is a local LLC that bought it in 2022 for $1.05 million. Christi Pritchett, who represented South Trail for LSI Cos., says the plan is to build a new station on the property, though it is too early to say when work will begin. South Trails Fire Protection & Rescue Services, according to its website, is an independent taxing district established by the state legislature to provide fire protection and rescue services to approximately 62,000 residents of a 39-square mile area in south Fort Myers. It currently operates five stations. LSI’s Alex Henderson, Max Molloy and Sawyer Gregory represented the seller.

Lakeland

Grocer rebranding seven locations, two local

The Winn-Dixie Co. is turning seven of its Harveys Supermarket locations in Florida and Georgia into Winn-Dixie stores. Two are in Lakeland. The Jacksonville grocer says the conversions are part of a larger effort to bring its stores under a singular banner as it undergoes a “broader brand transformation.” The two local stores are at 2630 US Highway 92 and at 1305 Ariana St. W. The others include two in Jacksonville and one each in Lake City, Ocala and Folkston, Georgia. The rebranded stores, the company says, will get a new look “designed to feel more modern, confident and connected to the way families shop today.” The Winn-Dixie Co. operated as Southeastern Grocers until the beginning of this year, when it officially changed its name. The changeover was announced in October and the company said at the time it would focus on its Florida and Georgia markets. As part of that process, it sold 32 Winn-Dixie stores and eight Harveys Supermarkets, in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi. It sold about 400 of its Winn-Dixie and Harveys stores to Aldi in 2023.

St. Petersburg

Investor acquires a 327-unit community

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Ram Realty Advisors, a Palm Beach Gardens real estate investment firm, has bought a St. Petersburg apartment community and plans to make upgrades. The property is Beacon 430, a 327-unit complex in the city’s downtown. Terms of the sale were not disclosed, and county property records have not been updated. The seller, an Alabama LLC, paid $24.84 million for it in 2019. Beacon 430 is at 430 3rd St. S. and was built in 2014. The four-story building sits on 4.3 acres and spans two blocks. Units range from a 643-square-foot one-bedroom, one-bath unit to a 1,360-square-foot three-bedroom, two-bath unit. (Rent prices were not available on the community’s website last week.) According Ram Realty, the community “provides a low-rise residential alternative with extensive outdoor amenities in a submarket where limited site availability and rising land costs increasingly favor high-rise development.” The firm says in a statement it plans to make improvements to common areas and amenities, as well as some upgrades to the interior of units. Ram Realty specializes in multifamily, grocery-anchored retail, and mixed-use properties in the Southeast.

Manatee County

Construction to start on 231-unit apartment complex 

A multifamily housing project is set to start construction in Manatee County. Called Tallevast, the complex will bring 231 apartments to Tallevast Road, about three miles from Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport. The complex will be at 2750 Tallevast Road on a 10.8-acre property. After Indianapolis-based multifamily developer Milhaus recently closed on the construction loan and land acquisition, construction will begin this month. Tallevast will consist of five three-story garden-style buildings and a resident clubhouse. Floor plans will range from studio to three-bedroom apartments, from about 600 to more than 1,300 square feet. BMO Financial Group provided construction financing for the project, while Marble Capital is serving as an equity partner, according to a statement.

Global aeronautics manufacturer expands facility

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Safran Electrical & Power, a division of the global aerospace, aeronautical and defense manufacturer Safran, has completed an expansion of its existing south Manatee County operation. It has grown to 140,000 square feet from 125,000 square feet. Tucked away on Whitfield Avenue just off U.S. Highway 301 in Manatee, right past the border with Sarasota County, the Safran manufacturing facility designs and builds a wide array of components for the aerospace, defense and industrial sectors, including commercial airlines. Among the components it produces are electrical power generation systems, conversion and protection components and aircraft emergency systems. It also offers maintenance for electrical generators, power electronics and lithium battery systems and is equipped with enhanced engineering and service infrastructure. According to the company, the expansion enables Safran Electrical & Power to “manage the entire lifecycle of its electrical systems in Sarasota, covering research and technology, development, qualification, manufacturing, and extended maintenance support.” The facility, which employs about 300, has been operating since 1978 and was bought by Safran from Eaton Corp.

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