Butters Realty & Management is betting big on Southwest Florida with its master-planned development of Gulf Landing Logistics Center.
The Coconut Creek, Florida-based privately held real estate firm purchased the estimated 300-acre plot of land zoned for master-planned development at 16200 Ben Hill Griffin Parkway in Fort Myers, Florida, in a partnership with BentallGreenOak to develop the Gulf Landing Logistics Center, a major new business park located in Fort Myers. Entitled for up to 2.2 million square feet of bulk warehouse and distribution space, the project is one of the largest commercial and logistics developments in Southwest Florida to date.
With nearly a mile of I-75 frontage on the western boundary, extending east to Ben Hill Griffin Parkway, north nearly to Terminal Access Road, and south to commercial properties on the north side of Alico Road, the planned Gulf Landing Logistics Center is expected to attract new companies to Southwest Florida and contribute to new employment opportunities in industrial-related sectors. This acquisition was recognized as the Sale/Acquisition of the Year in Southwest Florida as part of the 2023 CoStar Impact Awards, which were judged by real estate professionals familiar with the market.
"I'm very bullish on Southwest Florida. To me, I think it's the best industrial site in all of the Naples-Fort Myers corridor. We saw this opportunity in Southwest Florida; we couldn't resist it. The location and the visibility next to the airport is second to none," said Malcolm Butters, president of Butters Construction & Development. "The growth story of the Southwest Florida market, it's one of the top 10 growth areas in the nation."
The current plan for the diverse logistics facility will include 14 buildings, flex space for light industrial and office users as well as for bulk distribution, e-commerce and built-to-suit opportunities. Construction begins in April.
About the project: Gulf Landing Logistics Center is being developed at 16200 Ben Hill Griffin Parkway in Fort Myers, Florida, by Butters Realty & Management in partnership with BentallGreenOak, a global real estate investment management advisor and part of SLC Management, which is the institutional alternatives and traditional asset management business of Toronto-based Sun Life. The partnership expects to develop the property in several phases, with the first phase encompassing seven new buildings.
What the judges said: "There has been an exodus to [Southwest Florida] in the past few years. However, when we hear the word exodus, we think people and tend to forget about their businesses. 2.2 million square feet of new industrial will fill the gap for businesses looking to move to the Sunshine State, specifically Fort Myers," said Theresa Blauch-Mitchell, broker at Sperry Commercial Global Affiliates.
They made it happen: Gary Tasman, CEO and Principal Broker, and Shawn Stoneburner, Senior Director of Cushman and Wakefield | Commercial Property Southwest Florida, LLC represented the seller in the transaction.
