Agenda 06/11/2003 W COLLIER COUNTY
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
WORKSHOP AGENDA
June 11, 2003
9:00 a.m.
Tom Henning, Chairman, District 3
Donna Fiala, Vice-Chair, District 1
Frank Halas, Commissioner, District 2
Fred W. Coyle, Commissioner, District 4
Jim Coletta, Commissioner, District 5
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June 11, 2003
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PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
IMMOKALEE ECONOMIC INCENTIVE PRESENTATION
ADJOURN
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June 11, 2003
ROBERT'CHARLES LESSER & CO., LLC
_ ANALYSIS OF'THE EFFECTIVENESSAND FISCAL IMPACT OF
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVES;,
IMMOKALEE, COLLIER COUNTY, FLORIDA
Prepared for:
IMMOKALEE CO'~MIJNITY.DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION
June 9,2003
ATLANTA OFFICE - 3384 PEACHTREE RD. SUITE 500 · ATLANTA. GA 30326 · TEL 404 365 9501 · FAX 404 365 8363
IMMOKALEE
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Immokalee is located in the northeastern portion of Collier County, Florida, a southwestern Florida
county characterized by rapid residential growth driven by affluent retirees and second homebuyers
in and around the City of Naples. In contrast, Immokalee is strongly identified with the agricultural
sector, and is an area that is confronted with physical challenges of blight, a limited economic base
(outside of agriculture) and pressing community needs. Culturally, physically and economically,
Immokalee is very different than coastal Collier.
Yet, Immokalee's future economic prospects are currently tied to land use and economic
development policies that are much more reflective of the coastal dynamics than the unique
strengths and challenges of Immokalee. For example, hyper development activity in the Naples
area, especially in the residential sector, has led Collier County to enact land use ordinances that
attempt to shape the aesthetic quality of that growth, and to impose impact fees that mitigate the
cost - and slow the pace - of growth. In contrast, the Immokalee area has experienced relatively
little growth over the past decades. County-wide philosophies and strategies regarding growth are
at odds with the revitalization and growth strategies needed in Immokalee - the "one size fits all"
approach is clearly not working.
Due to persistent conditions of high unemployment (in part due to external factors such as NAFTA),
lack of infrastructure and lack of employment growth and diversification, Immokalee is already the
focus of a wide variety of economic incentives. While there have been some successes, overall
these incentix)es have had little impact on employment growth and diversification in the area.
While the Immokalee area does have access to a wide variety of federal and state incentives, these
typically offer little true competitive advantages, as a number of other rural communities in the
region have access to the same incentives. The County has certainly invested in the Immokalee
area. However, the investments have not been fully coordinated, and have not fully allowed
Immokalee to market its own unique strengths, challenges, needs and opportunities. The clearest
criticism among many Immokalee stakeholders is that economic development efforts in Immokalee
have too often been viewed through the Naples lens.
The conditions in Immokalee, however, strongly suggest that there is an excellent opportunity to
grow and diversify the local economy, in particular in types of employment that are not likely to
locate in the coastal areas. The objective of this study is to recommend a set of incentives that truly
reflects the current conditions and needs in Immokalee, so that this growth can be captured.
Further, the goal is to deploy incentives that over the long-term are fiscally positive and sustainable,
so that Immokalee can pull itself away from dependence on Collier County subsidies.
Through interviews with key stakeholders in Immokalee, we have identified the following
community needs that are most critical to Immokalee's future:
· A level economic playing field so that Immokalee can effectively compete for new job
growth in the County and the region.
· A diversified local economy that moves away from dependence on the traditional
agricultural economy.
· A sustainable revitalization strategy that over time will not rely on continued subsidies from
the County.
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· A comprehensive workforce development program that can stimulate and maintain the
long-term, sustainable economic growth.
· An understanding of the effect that impact fees have on the cost of doing business, the
ability to construct commercial space and the ability to provide housing at all price points,
but in particular "affordable" and workforce housing.
· A growth strategy and land use plan that recognizes and reflects Immokalee's unique
conditions, and understands that codes and ordinances designed for Naples may not be
appropriate (or economically feasible) in the Immokalee area.
· An economic development ~voice" and strategy that reflects the unique competitive
advantages and disadvantages of Immokalee, and can act as a single point of contact for
expanding and relocating businesses and the development community.
· A set of programs and incentives that can begin to stimulate the local
development/investment community, in particular with regards to the production of
commercial space and quality housing.
· The capture and retention of households who work in Immokalee - many who work in
Immokalee now commute from other areas in Collier and Lee County due to a lack of
quality housing stock and the negative perception of the Immokalee area.
· The capture and retention of dollars generated in Immokalee, but often lost as area
employees choose to live and shop elsewhere - the recycling of dollars within a
community is critical if a healthy retail and services sector is to be established.
· A vibrant and pleasant community that is a desirable place to work and live, which is the
ultimate economic development tool.
Economic development incentives are not "magic bullets.' They do not necessarily create jobs or
development activity out of thin air, nor do they dramatically redirect growth in regions where
stronger growth factors - infrastructure, access to a skilled workforce with available labor, access to
appropriately priced land or commercial space, desirability of residential locations, etc. - shape
where the jobs are locating. Incentives can be critical tools for economic development, however,
when they aim to remove impediments to growth and level the playing field among otherwise
similar jurisdictions, and build off of community's unique strengths.
We have conducted research on available incentives and programs, with a focus on how the
incentives would fit the unique character attributes Immokalee, as well as the overall fiscal impact
and sustainability of potential programs. Based upon our analysis, the fiscal benefit per new job
created, before any incentives are accounted for, ranges from approximately $10,000 to $20,000.
Industrial or flex uses, which we expect will be the primary land use in the Immokalee area,
generate a net fiscal benefit ranging from $15,000 to $20,000 per job. This new fiscal benefit will
be available for proposed economic development incentives.
It must be noted that the fiscal impact analysis of new job creation was based only on those fiscal
benefits we felt were the most direct results of job creation: commercial property taxes, permit and
service fees, and taxes and fees collected due to housing unit production associated with the job
creation. We did not calculate the impact of more indirect revenues, such the development of new
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retail or services space associated with an increase in numbers of jobs and households, nor did we
employ any multiplier effects to account for industrial clustering or circulation of dollars within the
community, all of which would expand the fiscal benefits.
Recommended Incentive Programs
Based upon our analysis, we recommend the following:
1. Create a mechanism for mitigating fees for new commercial and residential development.
Immokalee stakeholders, as well as developers and businesspersons from outside of Immokalee
and Collier County, have indicated that impact fees represent the most significant impediment
to new investment in the area. As currently set, impact fees most likely reflect the growth
conditions in coastal Collier, and the ability of coastal development to bear the cost of capital
improvements. Given the vast differences between the coastal areas and Immokalee, impact
fees applied uniformly present a serious economic obstacle because the cost of new
commercial and residential development in Immokalee~, at the prices and rents acceptable to
the market, generally cannot bear the impact fees. The mechanisms for mitigating impact fees
include:
a. Waiving impact fees outright in the Immokalee area over a period of time is not a
strategy that will likely be successful given political and legal obstacles. More critically,
this strategy could actually result in reduced investment in the community's
infrastructure, which would have a detrimental effect on economic development efforts.
b. The most attractive strategy is to establish a fund that will pay upfront impact fees for
new development, thus effectively waiving - or at least significantly mitigating - the
cost of impact fess on new development for developers or businesses. In order to be
sustainable, the fund must be replenished.
c. As currently proposed, the County's Economic Diversification program, prepared by
County staff in conjunction the staff of the Collier County Economic Development
Council (EDC), will establish such a fund for new businesses. The fund will be
replenished through property tax revenues over a period of 10 years.
d. We recommend that the Economic Diversification impact fee fund model is adopted in
the Immokalee area, with a few critical adjustments: 1) an extension of eligible activities
to speculative commercial development, not just new business expansion or relocation;
and, 2) an expansion of the funds available through the impact fee revolving loan
program, with a maximum funding up to 15 years worth of tax abatement (in present
dollars) so that impact fees are mitigated more substantially in the Immokalee Enterprise
Zone.
e. We also recommend the creation of an Immokalee housing fund in order to expand -
and if needed, replace - the housing programs currently administered with SHIP funds.
~ For the purposes of this analysis, we have defined the Immokalee area as those areas that lie within the Enterprise
Zone. This definition can and should be evaluated further by the community as a whole. It is important that the
ultimate definition is inclusive, so that no particular areas of need are left out; however, it is also critical that the
boundaries are exclusive of areas that are not the most in need, and may attract investment without the incentives.
Too large of a boundary would actually draw further investment away from the Immokalee core.
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At the forefront should be an impact fee deferral program that provides a no interest
loan to pay upfront impact fees that is eventually paid back upon sale of the home. This
program should be expanded to include all homes under $175,0000 (which will
include households earning as much as $40,000 per year, although income limits
should not be established as part of the fund).
f. While payment of impact fees over time with property taxes is most preferred from a
policy perspective, according to our fiscal analysis the stream of residential property tax
revenues will not sufficiently replenish the fund.
g. The housing fund should also continue to rehabilitation and downpayment/closing costs
assistance programs currently administered by SHIP for Iow-income families.
2. Move ahead with the other pieces of the Economic Diversification Program, with adjustment to
customize for incentivizing growth in the Immokalee area. These changes include: 1) an
extension of fast track approvals to speculative developers of commercial and retail space in the
Immokalee Enterprise Zone; and, 2) an increase of $1,000 per job in the workforce
development grant for firms in the Immokalee Enterprise Zone.
3. Create a dedicated economic development organization in Immokalee committed to selling
Immokalee as a high-quality business location. The primary objective of the local act as a
single point of contact for interested firms (as well as an active recruiter of businesses), to
coordinate a community-wide workforce development strategy, and to organize the active and
strong Iocai community groups. The newly established, Immokalee office of the EDC should be
staffed, funded and lead with these objectives in mind.
4. Devise a community vision and regulatory process that is unique to Immokalee, reflects the
opportunities and constraints in this environment, and does not burden Immokalee residents
and businesses with regulations that do not reflect the character of Immokalee and impose
significant costs. We recommend the creation of a special overlay district that controls land use
and ordinances for Immokalee.
5. Invest actively in the public realm, in order to begin to change the negative perceptions about
Immokalee that are often more associated with physical blight - especially along the key
gateways into Immokalee - than the realities of the quality of life that Immokalee can offer.
Investment in the public realm includes a greater focus on code enforcement, as well as the
generation of funds for the repair of the built environment, including rehabilitation grants and
loans for commercial and residential buildings along key corridors, condemnation and
rehabilitation of physical eyesores, streetscape improvements, investment in public parks, etc.
6. Leverage public funds with private capital through the use of effective public-private
partnerships in order to develop of much-needed commercial space and housing in the area.
We recommend establishing a pilot program that can provide "patient equity" for planned
developments deemed as critically important to the future economic growth of the Immokalee
area - in particular speculative commercial development that can initially be rented at rents
slightly below the market.
7. Continue with plans to operate and expand the Immokalee Regional Airport and the
neighboring industrial park and Manufacturing Technology Center. The airport is a critical
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economic focal point in Immokalee, and must be maintained in order to remain competitive in
the region. The EDC is currently studying the cargo potential at the airport, and the marketing
strategy that can attract that activity. The consensus appears to be that at the very least the
runways must be extended in order to accommodate larger aircraft.
Establish a fund to provide upfront infrastructure for targeted residential developments, in
particular larger developments that will provide a positive net fiscal impact and markedly
improve the quality of housing stock, perception of the Immokalee housing market and the
quality of the public realm.
Fiscal Impacts, Sustainability and Funding
The incentives recommended above are fiscally positive and sustainable:
· After all the potential incentives in the proposed Economic Diversification program
(including the commercial impact fee revolving loan fund and the other adjustments we
recommended) have been accounted for, there remains a net fiscal impact of $5,500 per
job.
· This positive net fiscal impact will justify the recurring costs of the regulatory and public
realm incentives/programs recommended above, assuming that 975 new jobs in target
industries - in particular, manufacturing and distribution - are generated over the 25-year
period. We propose that investments in the public realm should leverage existing efforts
ongoing in Immokalee, such as the Main Street Project and North Entry Beautification.
· The future ongoing operational and capital improvements costs associated with maintaining
and expanding Immokalee Regional Airport will be covered by only a modest level of
employment growth - 300 jobs over the 25-year period - at or around the airport.
· There are several proposed incentives, such as the public-private partnership - i.e., the
"patient public equity" - and the upfront infrastructure support of residential communities
that require upfront capital infusion from the County, that over time are not only self-
sustaining, but actually generate a return on the public investment. Both of these programs,
once appropriate opportunities are identified, should initially be run as one time pilot
programs. This is so the management of the projects do not become overly burdensome for
County or EDC, and so that the initial capital investment requirement is minimized until the
effectiveness and benefits of the programs can be established. Initial funding for the public-
private partnership program should be roughly $500,000, with the infrastructure fund
requiring an initial capitalization of approximately $1,000,000.
· The housing fund is also self-sustaining over time, but will require capital funding of
between $2,000,000 and $5,000,000 (depending on the availability of SHIP funds)
annually over the initial period Of the fund. We propose that a dedicated source of funding
is established in order to cover the initial costs of the housing fund. This may be a
commitment of County general funds, although such as course is subject to budgetary
constraints. A preferred funding source would be a 1% real estate transfer tax of home sales
countywide valued at $200,000 or more. While this funding source may be politically
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unpopular, the housing fund is one of the most critical incentives identified in our study, as
the lack of quality housing stock in Immokalee is a severe impediment to economic growth.
Finally, in order to ensure long-term effectiveness and sustainability of the incentive programs
recommended above, the programs must be continually reviewed and adjusted based upon the
current conditions. It is certainly likely that incentives that are critical now will not be as critical in
the future, as the private market begins to generate economic activity or housing development
without the need of public incentives.
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INTRODUCTION
Background
The town of Immokalee is located in the northeastern portion of Collier County, Florida. The
eastern, coastal portion of Collier County is strongly identified with the City of Naples, a high-
income, fast-growing second home and retiree destination. However, the town of Immokalee and
the surrounding area is still much more strongly identified with the local agricultural sector, and is
not connected to the Naples urban core; in fact, geographically Immokalee is more closely related
to portions of Lee County such as Lehigh Acres.
Strong growth and significant development activity in the coastal Collier County, especially in the
residential sector, has led Collier County to enact ordinances that mitigate the cost - and slow the
pace - of growth. Yet, the Immokalee area has experienced relatively little growth over the past
decades. County-wide philosophies and strategies regarding growth are at odds with the
revitalization and growth strategies in Immokalee - the "one size fits all" approach is clearly not
working.
Immokalee has a number of groups and associations that are actively working towards long-term
revitalization of the community. Under the leadership of County Commissioner Jim Colletta, the
Build Immokalee Greater steering committee (also known as Think B.I.G.) was organized in order
to develop a revitalization strategy that is appropriate for the Immokalee area and that can guide
future growth management policy and land use planning by Collier County. In pursuit of this goal,
Think B.I.G. has worked in conjunction with several strong, existing community organizations - in
particular the Immokalee Community Development Corporation (ICDC) and Immokalee Chamber
of Commerce. A set of countywide economic development incentives is currently being studied
and implemented by EDC and County staff. Given that the Immokalee area has a different set of
strengths and challenges than the rest of the County, it requires a set of incentives that are
appropriate for these unique attributes.
Objectives
The objective of this assignment is to determine the most appropriate and fiscally prudent set of
economic and community development incentives for the Immokalee area. The broader, long-term
objective is to create a sustainable economic development program for Immokalee, so that the
community can begin to wean itself from dependence on County subsidies. The following tasks
have been completed in order to achieve this objective:
(1) Situation Analysis
(2) Incentives Analysis
(3) Fiscal Impact Analysis
Situation Analysis
The Situation Analysis involves an evaluation Immokalee's current demographic and economic
conditions at an overview level, and an assessment of Immokalee's particular needs through
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interviews with members of the Think B.I.G. and ICDC organizations, as well as other local
stakeholders. Questions addressed in this first phase of analysis include: What is the current
situation relative to economic potential, growth potential, impediments and incentives to positive
growth? What does the community want and need? What is possible? How does this compare to
other nearby and Florida communities?
Incentives Analysis
The Incentives Analysis builds upon the previous qualitative incentive research performed by the
EDC and Collier County staff. The purpose of this analysis is to understand the types of incentives
being offered in relevant and/or competitive communities; the effectiveness of particular incentive
programs; and any innovative programs that may be employed by Collier County in order to
catalyze growth in Immokalee. This analysis has been performed through secondary research and
interviews with economic development officials in a number of other jurisdictions2, as well as
drawing on our national experience with economic development issues.
Fiscal Impact Analysis
The Fiscal Impact Analysis evaluates the revenues and expenses generated by specific job creation
scenarios, and determines the fiscal benefit that will be available for economic and community
development incentives. The fiscal model also tests the costs of particular incentives, and the
return on costs associated with each of the incentives. We have also tested the fiscal impact and
sustainability of particular programs or funds.
Utilizing all three of the tasks above, this study identifies the incentives that will most effectively
stimulate growth and investment in Immokalee, and are most desirable from a fiscal and economic
return perspective. The study also identifies how and when incentives can begin to sustain
themselves, through either direct payment into dedicated funds, or revenues generated from
economic development activity. The next step should be a market analysis to determine the actual
levels of economic impact resulting from applying the incentives (this step is outside the scope of
work of this engagement).
The following sections of this report presents our findings and recommendations. An Appendix
including the detailed quantitative analyses is at the back of this report.
The report is subject to the critical assumptions and general limiting conditions outlined at the end
of the report. This report was prepared by Gregg Logan, Managing Director in the Atlanta, Georgia,
office of RCLCo, and Marc McCauley, Senior Consultant, in the Washington, D.C., office of RCLCo.
2 We conducted extensive interviews with economic development officials in the following counties: Hendry, Lee,
Desoto, Glades, Sarasota, Manatee, and Highlands Counties, and conducted secondary research, in order to
determine the relevance of particular incentives or economic environments, on many more counties throughout
Florida.
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SITUATION ANALYSIS
Subject Area Location
The town of Immokalee is located in northeastern Collier County in southwest Florida, on the edge
of the Florida Everglades (see map in Figure 1). Collier County is one the fastest growing counties
in the nation; however, most of the growth has occurred in the western, coastal portion of the
County, in particular around the City of Naples. Growth in the Naples area has been driven
primarily by affluent second home, seasonal and/or retired households moving into the area,
attracted by the pleasant climate, access to the Gulf of Mexico, and luxury housing supply.
In sharp contrast, the Immokalee area is an inland community with a primarily rural, agricultural
economy, and significant seasonal employment and migrant farm population. The Immokalee area
has an older housing stock and limited commercial space. Much of the Immokalee area suffers
from residential and commercial blight. Geographically, the Immokalee area relates more to areas
of eastern Lee County than it does to parts of western Collier County. Clearly, there are sharp
physical, socioeconomic and cultural differences within Collier County, and especially between the
fast-growing coastal Naples area and rural Immokalee.
Figure 1: Regional Location of Immokalee, Florida
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We expect that the Immokalee area will continue to be perceived as much different than coastal
Collier County for the foreseeable future. Growth among higher-income households, especially
affluent second homebuyers and retirees, will continue to locate along the coast in the short and
mid terms, even as rapid growth has created significant land supply constraints in the more
established locations. In the recent past, luxury residential development has headed north from
Naples, into areas such as Bonita Springs in Lee County, as developable sites in and around Naples
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have disappeared. Relatively little growth has headed eastward, although the Route 951 and
Immokalee Road corridors have seen increased activity in recent years.
Growth will likely not flow naturally into northeast Collier County, at least until a number of other
options in the region are built-out. However, Immokalee should be able to generate economic
activity on its own accord, leveraging its own strengths and unique attributes. For example, two
new housing developments - Jubilation and Arrowhead Reserve at Lake Trafford - are evidence of
life in a long-dormant housing market. The announcement that the new Ave Maria University
campus will locate just outside of Immokalee has the potential to further improve these dynamics
over time.
Immokalee does represent a logical location for much-needed economic diversification in Collier
County, in particular manufacturing and distribution activity. An Immokalee location provides
access to a large market area within a number of medium and large-sized metropolitan regions, as it
is an approximately 45-minute drive from Naples or Fort Myers, while Miami is approximately 2
hours away by car and Tampa a 2.5-hour drive. The Immokalee area already is the focus of a
significant amount of public investment, with a designation as a federal Hub Zone, Foreign
Entrepreneurial Investment Zone, and Foreign Trade Zone, and a state Enterprise Zone and rural
"area of distress" under the Rural Economic Development Initiative. These designations give
expanding or relocating firms in the area improved access to a variety of funding sources and
incentives.
The physical character of much of Immokalee has created a negative image of the area as a whole.
In particular, the southern gateway (coming from Naples) is aesthetically challenged, with Iow
quality retail and commercial buildings lining the road, reminiscent of highways in developing
Caribbean countries. This clearly is an impediment to attracting investment into the area, although
some manufacturing and distribution users will not be as troubled by the lack of aesthetic appeal.
The northern gateway is less aesthetically-challenged, especially for residential uses.
The transportation network immediately around Immokalee is certainly not ideal, although Route
29 provides adequate north-south access, especially access south to 1-75. There have been recent
reports that a "loop road" for 1-75 is being considered that would help bypass Naples; one scenario
would have the road running through Immokalee, which would provide excellent access and
visibility to Immokalee. The airport is also an important resource - especially since it is located in
a Foreign Trade Zone - although currently it is not being utilized to its full potential, which is not
surprising as the airport will require time and resources in order to establish itself as a strong
business attractor.
The rural character of the area, with access to natural recreational amenities such as Lake Trafford,
Lake Okeechobee (about an hour to the northeast), and numerous state and national parks in the
Everglades, is a strong amenity for the area - especially for certain types of residential development.
The rural character and agricultural tradition should allow for the area to promote eco-tourism as a
draw for visitors, as well as an amenity for resdidents - in particular retirees or second homebuyers.
Affordable home prices and cheap land may be another advantage for residential development,
although in order to attract residential growth from outside of the Immokalee area a residential
development would have to offer a special community with strong internal public amenities.
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Commercially, perhaps the greatest impediment is the lack of an existing supply of available
commercial space. There is very little activity in the speculative commercial development sector.
Land is available, although not in the more developed areas of Immokalee, and developing land
can be very costly (as described further below), time consuming, and thus not a viable option for
smaller, start-up businesses.
Demographic and Housing Trends
Demographic Characteristics
The demographics of the Immokalee area clearly show that Immokalee is a very different area than
Collier as a whole, and many of its neighbors - even the rural counties that presumably would
share many of the same attributes and challenges of the Immokalee area.
As shown in Figure 2, in 2000 the Immokalee area (a Census designated place as defined by the
Census Bureau) held 4,71 5 households, nearly half the size of Hendry County and similar in size to
Glades County. Yet, Immokalee accounted for only 4.6% of all households in all of Collier
County. Household growth in Immokalee has been strong over the past decade - 2.5% per year -
although this rate is more than half the rate in the County as a whole.
Figure 2: Household and Population Trends, 1990 to 2000
Irnmc~lee Hendry Glades Collier Lee
Households, 2000 4,715 10,850 3,852 102,973 188,599
2000 POP 19,763 36,210 10,576 251,377 440,888
Annual HH Growth, 1990-00 104 245 97 4,127 4,848
Annual HH Growth Rate, 1990430 2.5% 2.6% 2.9% 5.3% 3.0%
Average HH Size 4.19 3.34 2.75 2.44 2.34
Median Age (Population) 24.7 29.5 40.2 44.1 45.2
~ ng Age Pop. (15 to 64), % of Total 67.1% 65.2% 63.0% 59.0% 58.2%
Senior Pop. (65+), % of Total 4.1% 10.1% 18.8% 24.5% 25.4%
Source: U.S. Census
The Immokalee area is younger, with a higher percentage of working age persons than Collier
County as a whole. Unlike the coastal areas in Collier and Lee, Immokalee has not attracted a large
number of retirees. The average household size in Immokalee is more than 1.5 times Collier
County as a whole.
Figure 3: Educational Attainment, Percent of Total Persons 25 Years and Older, 2000 Immokalee Hendry Glades
Collier Lee
Less than 9 th Grade 55.7% 24.9% 9.7% 8.0% 5.0%
9th through 12th, No Diploma 20.3% 21.0% 20.5% 10.2% 12.7%
High School Diploma 16.2% 29.1% 36.8% 26.2% 32.5%
Some College, No Degree 3.9% 13.8% 18.6% 21.8% 22.6%
Col lege Degree 3.4% 9.1% 10.1% 24.0% 19.5 %
Graduate or Professional Degree 0.4% 2.2% 4.3% 9.7% 7.6%
Source: U.S. Census
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While the Immokalee area does not necessarily suffer from a lack of workforce quantity, the level of
education and language skills of many workers does present a serious challenge to the effective
utilization of that workforce. As shown in Figure 3 above, over 55% of the persons aged 25 years
and older in Immokalee have not reached high school; only 24% of persons have a high school
diploma or higher. This level of educational attainment is well below the County as a whole; more
disconcerting, however, is that this level is also well below Immokalee's rural neighbors to the
north.
Figure 4: Language Spoken at Home, Population 5 Years and Older, 2000
Immokalee Hendry Glades Collier Lee
English Only 21.7% 62.0% 81.2% 74.9% 86.5%
Other, English Spoken Very Well 28.7% 15.9% 11.8% 11.3% 7.5%
Other, English Not Spoken Very Well 49.6% 22.2% 7.1% 13.8% 5.8%
Source: U.S. Census
Language skills are also an issue in Immokalee, as a significant part of the labor force consists of
immigrants or migrant, seasonal residents from Central and Latin America. As shown in Figure 4,
nearly half of all persons (5 years and older) in Immokalee speak English less than "very well,"
compared to 22% in Hendry, 7% in Glades, and 6% in Lee. While Immokalee represents only 8%
of the population in Collier County, it has 35% of the persons who speak English less than very
well.
Figure 5: Income Distribution of Households, 2000
Immokalee Hendry Glades Collier Lee
Less than $15,000 32.2% 19.9% 23.4% 10.0% 13.4%
$15,000-$24,999 19.0% 17.1% 15.8% 11.6% 14.2%
$25,000 - $34,999 15.2% 14.8% 1 7.8% 12.9% 15.0%
$35,000 - $49,999 15.4% 18.1% 15.8% 17.1% 19.1%
$50,000 - $74,999 11.5% 17.9% 15.3% 19.4% 19.5%
$75,000 - $99,999 4.5% 7.2% 6.0% 10.9% 8.2%
$100,000 + 2.3% 5.0% 6.0% 18.1% 10.6%
Median HH Income $24,315 $33,592 $30,774 $48,289 $40,319
Source: U.S. Census
Much of the Immokalee workforce is generally ill-prepared to compete for higher-paying jobs. This
reality, as is the reality of the types of jobs available to residents, is reflected in the household
income data, provided in Figure 5 above. Immokalee's median household income in 2000 was
$24,000, roughly half of the median household income in Collier County as a whole - which has a
higher amount of unearned income from retirees as well as overall higher wages in the coastal
areas. Immokalee's median income is 28% lower than Hendry and 21% lower than Glades.
Nearly one-third of households in Immokalee have an income of less than $15,000.
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Housing Market Characteristics
As shown in Figure 6, the lower-income nature of the Immokalee area has created a value-driven
housing market, with a significant percentage of housing units that are older and in poor or subpar
condition. There is also a much higher percentage of larger households in Immokalee, relative to
the comparison area, with more than 1.5 persons per bedrooms. This reflects, in part, overcrowded
conditions due to lower incomes and limited housing choices, as well as the practice of migrant
farm workers sharing temporary housing and cultural traditions (where larger, extended families
live together in the same home).
Figure 6: Housing Affordability, Percent of Total Households, 2000
Immokalee Hendry Glades Collier Lee
More than 1.5 persons per Room 25.2% 8.0% 3.7% 3.4% 1.6%
Housing Units Lacking Plumbing 7.2% 0.7% 0.4% 0.5% 0.4%
No Telephone Service 28.4% 7.9% 8.3% 2.3% 1.9%
Source: U.S. Census
The value of homes and achievable rents in Immokalee has reflected the generally poor quality of
the housing stock, as shown in Figure 7. The median home value in Immokalee is only 40% of the
value in Collier County as a whole; the median gross rent is 54% of the County total. Even when
compared to the more rural Hendry and Glades Counties, median value in Immokalee is 5% lower,
with median rent 15% lower. Further, while median values and rents in Lee County as a whole are
much higher than in Immokalee, the Lehigh Acres in eastern Lee County - and roughly 20 miles to
the northwest of Immokalee - offers value and a much wider range of products with an active new
home sector.
Figure 7: Home (Owner Occupied) Value and Gross Rents, 2000
Immokalee Hendry Glades Collier Lee
Less than $50,000 20.6% 20.8% 22.0% 1.5% 5.5%
$50,000 - $99,999 65.8% 55.2% 53.8% 16.4% 37.1%
$100,000 - $149,999 8.1% 13.7% 11.8% 24.7% 26.6%
$150,000 - $199,999 3.5% 5.5% 10.9% 1 7.5% 12.7%
$200,000 - $299,999 0.9% 3.3% 0.7% 16.7% 9.6%
$300,000 + 1.1 % 1.4% 0.8% 23.2% 8.3%
Median Home Value $68,500 $71,500 $72,400 $168,000 $112,900
Median Gross Rent $406 $479 $474 $753 $646
Source: U.S. Census
As shown in Figure 8, the Immokalee area has a much lower rate of homeownership than any of
the other comparison counties. This is due to a number of factors: 1) lower incomes and therefore
lower ability to pay for housing, even in a market with a Iow cost of ownership; 2) the transient
nature of migrant and seasonal farm workers; and, 3) lack of quality, affordable homeownership
opportunities in the Immokalee area.
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Figure 8: Housing Tenure, 2000
Immokalee Hendry Glades Collier Lee
Owner-Occupied Units 37.8% 72.4% 81.7% 75.6% 76.5%
Renter-Occupied Units 62.2% 27.6% 18.3% 24.4% 23.5%
Source: U.S. Census
Housing Market Activity and Opportunities
'There has historically been very little new residential development in the Immokalee area,
especially workforce and market rate housing. This has resulted in very poor retention of
Immokalee area employees. Much of the workforce in Immokalee, including schoolteachers,
county employees and business professionals, must commute from areas to the west and north,
such as Golden Gate or Lehigh Acres. The inability to retain employees as residents has limited the
extent to which dollars earned at Immokalee jobs are spent in the Immokalee area, which stifles
any potential growth in local retail and services establishments.
There are several strong obstacles for new market-rate and workforce residential development in
the Immokalee area. Certainly, the area must overcome initial negative perceptions of the area,
including some based in reality (lack of extensive retail and services, areas of blight) and some
exaggerated (crime). On the development side, the costs associated with new housing
development, in particular impact fees and extensive development regulations, make it very
difficult to deliver homes at a price that meets the market demand. Our conversations with a
number of builders active in the Lehigh Acres area of Lee County (which is has a significant
workforce housing orientation) confirmed that Immokalee is viewed as a very difficult place to
build - and deliver homes that meet the market - because of the additional costs associated with
construction.
The State Housing Initiative Program (SHIP) is a state-level program that redistributes a tax on the
transfer of real estate to local governments, who then design programs that address local housing
concerns. In Collier County, SHIP has been used to fund downpayment/closing cost assistance to
buyers, impact fee waivers and a residential rehabilitation program for very Iow and Iow-income
households. In the past few years, the SHIP funds have been adequate to meet demand, although
just barely. This year, SHIP funds have been cut significantly - from over $3 million to $2.1
million - so the county housing staff expects that there will be a significant budget shortfall this
year, which provides another significant obstacle to the development of affordable and workforce
housing.
Recently developed projects, such as Jubilation, and planned developments, such as Arrowhead
Reserve at Lake Trafford, are attempting to overcome these obstacles and provide market-rate and
workforce housing in Immokalee. The details of these projects are:
· Jubilation is an 85-unit community of single-family and multifamily homes targeting limited
income and workforce households. The neotraditional community is located on an infill
site in a more urbanized area of Immokalee, and will be centered around the Harvest
Activity Center, which will include community activity rooms, Jubilation and Harvest for
Humanity offices, a visitors center that will promote eco-tourism, and a Blueberry Store,
which will eventually be sold to the employees. Homes at Jubilation range in price from
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$69,500 to $107,500, plus impact fees, well above the median value in Immokalee now,
but still affordable to many working families that want to move to Immokalee or upgrade
their housing choices.
· The Arrowhead Reserve at Lake Trafford is planned for 1,245 housing units and 130,000
square feet of retail (including a grocery store) and office space. The community will
deliver its first phase - including rental apartments and single-family and multifamily homes
- in 2004. Rents for the first phase of the rental building will start at $550. Prices for the
multifamily units will range from $85,000 to $115,000, and single-family homes will range
from $99,000 to $149,000.
These two projects are critical, because they create much-needed workforce and move-up housing
in the Immokalee area, in order to house current Immokalee area employees who now live
elsewhere, and move existing residents from rental and/or substandard housing into quality housing
(that pays higher property taxes). The housing will also help to expand existing businesses and
recruit new businesses that might have been otherwise concerned about the lack of quality housing
in the area. In order to meet the significant need for quality housing - including middle class and
luxury housing in addition to workforce housing - additional new housing developments are
needed. These projects have faced the obstacles discussed above, and it remains unlikely that a
significant level of housing development activity will be attracted to the area while these obstacles
exist.
If the obstacle~ are addressed, there are several niche housing opportunities. In the long-term, the
development of Ave Maria University, for example, will certainly generate significant demands for
new housing in the Immokalee area; most of this demand could be satisfied in and around the
campus, but demand over time should continue to spread over the broader Immokalee area. In an
earlier study by RCLCo on the impact of Ave Maria University, we found that demand for nearly
1,000 housing units directly related to the University would be generated by 2021. Some of this
demand could be captured in and around Immokalee.
The University, and regional growth in general, will likely generate significant potential demand for
new retiree housing. Across the nation, universities have been shown to be strong amenities for
active adult buyers. As Baby Boomers continue to age, they will continue to represent the
dominant residential market force, and as more established Florida retirement destinations become
built-out and/or too expensive, many potential retirees will look elsewhere in the state. A strong
retiree market already exists in areas such as Lehigh Acres. For a large segment of senior buyers,
affordability is a primary decision factor when considering a retirement location.
The Immokalee area does provide excellent access to the natural environment that will be attractive
to a certain segment of the active adult market. Certainly, for a large-scale, active adult community
to locate in the Immokalee area, the community must also develop more of a sense of place with a
very strong amenity package (golf course(s), community centers, walking trails, etc.). The County
should play an active role in working to create this "public realm" in order to provide an incentive
for retirement housing in the Immokalee area.
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Economic Trends
Economic Trends
Collier County is one of the largest economies in the Southwest Florida region, with over t 13,000
jobs. Approximately 41,000 of these jobs have been added to the Collier County economy since
1990 (see Figure 9). Although directly comparable data does not exist, other sources of data3 have
indicated that Immokalee had approximately 3,200 jobs in 1999, or 3.5% of the jobs in Collier
County as a whole. According to this same source, the Immokalee area added approximately 670
jobs from 1990 to 1998, an increase of approximately 84 jobs per year; over roughly the same time
period, Hendry County was adding approximately 294 jobs per year, although Hendry County has
lost nearly 2,000 jobs since 1996.
Figure 9: Total Employment Growth by County, 1990- 2002
45,000
41,881
80.0%
40,000 37,563 70.0%
35,000 60.0%
30,000 50.0%
25,000 40.0%
20,000 30.0%
15,000 20.0%
10,000 10.0%
5,000 2,175 0.0%
1,281 336 376 1,000
0 -10.0%
Collier Lee Heyday Glades Charlotte Desoto Hardee Highlands Okeechobe
-5,000 -20.0%
There are several examples of high-profile economic development successes in surrounding rural
counties. For example, Desoto County recently attracted 600 jobs in a WalMart distribution center.
However, the employment data clearly shows that long-term employment growth has not been
overly significant in the rural counties with which Immokalee will likely compete. Thus, the
assumption that other rural counties are miles ahead of Immokalee with regards to attracting new
job growth is not supported by the data. It also means that expectations of employment growth in
Immokalee that is generated through incentives, particularly in the short term, must be relatively
conservative given the historical context.
As shown in Figure 10, in the recent past Collier County has enjoyed a very tight labor market, with
an average annual unemployment rate at or below 5% since 1997. The unemployment rate in the
Immokalee area has historically been much higher than the County as a whole - according to the
3 Dun & Bradstreet data as presented in "Identifying Industry Targets for Glades and Hendry Counties and
Immokalee," prepared by the Economic Development Research Group, Inc., (Boston, MA) for the SW Florida
Regional Planning Council, dated January 1 l, 2002.
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U.S. Census, the unemployment rate in Immokalee in 2000 stood at 7.2%, compared to 3.5% in
the County. Neighboring Hendry County has historically had the highest unemployment rate, with
a rate at or near 12% for much of the past five years.
Overall, the Collier County economy is driven by employment in industries that rely heavily on the
booming residential and tourism markets, as well as the traditional agricultural economy. The
largest employment sectors in Collier County (based upon 1999 data) are construction (12%),
agricultural services (9%), business services (7%), food stores (5%), lodging (5%), amusement and
recreation services (5%), wholesale trade (3%), real estate (3%), general merchandise stores (3%),
engineering services (2%) and automotive dealers (2%).
Figure 10: Unemployment Rates by County, 1990- 2002
18.0%
16.0%
14.0%
12.0%
10.0%
8.0%
6.0%
4.0%
2.0%
0.0%
1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002
'""e'--Co I er ~Lee a. Hendry -e--Glades !
The Immokalee economy is much more focused on traditional agriculture and lower-paying service
jobs. The lower-income nature of the Immokalee area is due in great part to the area's dependence
on the agricultural economy, in particular the presence of a significant number of migrant farm
working jobs that pay very Iow wages. In 2000, 15% of the employment in Immokalee was in
agricultural services, with wholesale trade (14%), miscellaneous retail (13%), amusement and
recreation services (10%), social services and member organizations (10%), educational services
(6%), and health services (6%).
There is a strong need to diversify the economy - not only in Immokalee but also in Collier County
as a whole. An economic development strategy must target sectors that are not as directly tied to
residential growth in the west and the lower-end of the traditional agricultural sector in the
northeast. The Immokalee Regional Airport could play a key role in the future of Immokalee's
economy. The presence of the Foreign Trade Zone and the airport could help make the area
competitive for industries that work in aircraft-related services and manufacturing, air-freight
distribution, and import/export if supporting facilities are provided and it is well marketed. There
are also Foreign Trade Zones in Fort Myers, Miami, Broward County, Highlands County (Sebring),
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and Manatee County. Of these, only the Sebring Foreign Trade Zone appears directly competitive
with Immokalee, given similar rural characteristics.
At this time, however, despite significant County investment, there has been relatively little
employment growth associated with the airport. Certainly, competition from other regional airports
in central and southern Florida is strong. However, the lack of activity at the Immokalee airport
likely also has to do with manageable constraints, including lack of sufficient commercial and
hangar space, lack of a customs facility, short runways and an overall business climate - in
particular costs of developing space - that presents real disincentives to relocation and expansion.
Commercial Development Costs Analysis
Economic development research has strongly suggested that business relocation and expansion
decisions are driven primarily by factors such as availability and cost of adequate labor, desirability
of an area to both live and work, and access and visibility. However, the costs of doing business
and the local business climate are often key decision factors as well.
Figure 11: Estimated Impact Fees in Selected Counties for Selected Land Uses, 2003
J Immokalee Collier Lee Hendry J
Land Us. . e ~ _ Ar~unty .County__s]
Industrial
50,000 SF $240,000 $280,000 $95,000 None
25,000 SF $120,000 $145,000 $47,500 None
10,000 SF $45,000 $60,000 $19,000 None
Office
50,000 SF $410,000 $450,000 $150,000 None
25,000 SF $230,000 $260,000 $75,000 None
10,000 SF $90,000 $105,000 $30,000 None
Medical Office
50,000 SF $765,000 $810,000 $355,000 None
25,000 SF $380,000 $410,000 $177,500 None
10,000 SF $150,000 $165,000 $71,000 None
Residential
Single Family Home 2/ $8,700 $14,250 $6,500 None
Multifamily Home 2/ $6,300 $10,000 $3,500 None
1/Immokalee area does not include water and sewer impact fees, but the remainder of
Collier County does include this impact fee. Lee County also does not have a water
and sewer component of its impact fees.
2/Assumes 2,000 sf SFD and 1,500 sf MF unit.
Although the cost of doing business includes a wide variety of factors, the cost of developing new
space is one of the more critical when considering a new location. Our analysis of the cost of new
development consisted of three factors: impact fees, property taxes and land costs. Construction
costs can also vary considerably given access to materials and labor - this is often cited as the case
in the Immokalee area, with some developers assuming an increase of 5% to 10% in construction
costs - but for the purposes of this analysis, construction costs were assumed to be held constant.
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The impact fees for Immokalee, Collier County as a whole, and neighboring Lee and Hendry
counties are provided above in Figure 11. In the case of Collier County and Immokalee, impact
fees represent a significant portion of the non-construction costs - in Immokalee they are between
20% and 35% of the non-construction costs, and 6% to 11% of costs including construction,
depending on the commercial land use. Collier County commercial impact fees are 2.3 to 3.5
times as high as in neighboring Lee County, with residential impact fees 2.2 to 2.9 times as high as
in Lee. However, just recently Lee County announced that its roads fees (which comprise a
significant part of the overall impact fee) will be increased by an average of nearly 40%. We
expect that Lee County's fees will still be below Collier County, but the gap will be significantly
lessened.
Impact fees in Immokalee are lower than in Collier County as a whole, as the Immokalee water and
sewer district does not charge impact fees, although the fees are still double or triple those of Lee
County for commercial development (before the recently announced increases in Lee County).
Hendry County does not charge impact fees on commercial or residential development, as is the
case with all competitive rural counties in central and southern Florida - and most counties as a
whole in Florida.
Figure 12: Property Tax Millage Rates for Selected Counties, 2002 1/
Unincorp. Unincorp. Hendry [
SubcomPonent Collier County ._.l:?_County County 2/
County Operating 3.8772 5.3401 9.5000
County Debt Service 0.0000 0.0000 0.0000
School Board 7.1370 8.4780 6.8910
School Debt Service 0.0000 0.0000 2.0000
Special Service District 0.0420 0.0000 0.0000
Independent Service District 0.8069 1.1023 3.1970
TOTAL 11.8631 14.9204 21.5880
1/Typical millage rates; may not reflect reality of individual parcels in special districts.
2/Taxes for new development can be abated up to 100% for up to 10 years.
Source: State of Florida, Department of Revenues; Individual Assessor's Offices
As shown in Figure 12, Collier County has a lower overall property tax millage rate than its
neighboring counties, with Hendry County having a millage rate nearly double that of Collier
County - not unusual in rural counties with little overall economic activity. This is a competitive
advantage that Immokalee has relative to the rural counties it will likely compete with for new job
growth. Hendry County does offer a program abate up to 100% of property taxes on new
commercial development for up to ten years. The abatement is applied on a case-by-case basis,
and must receive approval from the county commissioners. Although the Hendry County
economic development staff insists that the county commissioners are committed to economic
development, and thus willing to use this tool when the opportunity presents itself, this lack of
certainty for firms considering a Hendry County location likely represents a competitive
disadvantage.
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Figure 13: Land Prices per Square Foot for Selected Counties, 2003
Immokalee West Collier Lee Hendry [
Area County Coun._ . . ~_t--y ~~
$2.00 $7.00 $4.00 $1.25
Average, or typical, land prices4 for commercial land (assuming business park environment with
utilities) vary considerably among the four areas most closely studied. The highest land prices are
in western Collier, with Immokalee land prices - estimated at $2.00 per square foot - roughly half
the typical price for land in Lee County, but 60% higher than typical land prices in Hendry County.
As shown in Figure 14 (with a complete analysis shown in Appendix 1), the cost of developing new
commercial space - when considering the cost of land, property taxes and impact fees - in
Immokalee is well below the coastal areas. Even with higher impact fees in Immokalee, the cost of
developing commercial space in Lee County is 1.25 to 1.5 times that of developing in Immokalee
(before the recently announced increases). Although this cost gap is likely not enough of an
incentive to locate farther from the most desirable neighborhoods, the increased impact fees could
provide more of an impetus to develop space in places like Immokalee or Hendry County -
especially if costs are cut even further in Immokalee through a waiving (or otherwise funding) of the
impact fees.
Figure 14: Relative Costs of Developing a New Commercial Building in Selected Areas
10,000 SF 50,000 SF 10,000 SF 50,000 SF 10,000 SF 50,000 SF
Area Manuf. Manuf. Office Office Medical Medical
Current Conditions
Immokalee 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
Western Collier 233% 228% 203% 204% 193% 191%
Lee 150% 148% 133% 136% 127% 126%
Hendry 61% 61% 59% 60% 51% 51%
With Immokalee Impact Fee Exemption
Immokalee 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
Western Collier 293% 290% 279% 272% 302% 301%
Lee 188% 188% 182% 182% 198% 198%
Hendry 77% 77% 81% 81% 80% 80%
The cost of commercial development in Hendry County is roughly half that of Immokalee; if impact
fees are exempted, Hendry Costs are approximately 80% of Immokalee, still a considerable
discount. Hendry County offers no impact fees and Iow land costs, and although property tax rates
are high, as mentioned above, up to 100% of the County portion of the property taxes can abated
for up to10 years for all new development - for the purposes of this analysis, we have assumed this
is the case.
4 We have estimated land prices based upon interviews with local brokers and developers in the area.
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Clearly, the costs of development are not the sole determinant of where jobs locate. However, they
are decision factors, and higher costs with other factors being equal - or close to equal - can
significantly impact employment locations. This is likely the case in coastal Collier and Lee, where
issues of access, visibility, labor force, etc. are rather equal, and thus the increased costs associated
with development in Collier does have a significant impact.
The discount associated with developing in Immokalee or Hendry will not draw companies that
want or need to be in a coastal location - in particular due to access to a skilled labor force or a
desire by the chief executive to live closer to his favorite country club, good schools, and high-end
shopping and services. However, these costs may be a factor when a firm is choosing between
Immokalee and another similar location, such as Hendry County versus Immokalee. Incentives can
be used in Immokalee to mitigate some or all of the costs associated with impact fees, although
even then Hendry will offer a much less costly alternative. Thus, to truly level the playing field,
incentives must not only focus on reducing costs, but also on improving the overall business
climate and quality of community - ease of doing business, availability of skilled labor, quality of
housing choices, attractiveness of the community, quality public spaces, etc.
Strengths, Challenges, Needs and Opportunities
The following section will summarize Immokalee's key strengths, challenges, community needs
and opportunities, based upon the situation analysis presented above.
Strengths
Active community organizations dedicated to the future revitalization of the Immokalee
area.
Centralized location within a few hours drive of several medium and large metropolitan
areas. The population within a four-hour drive has been estimated at over 11 million?
· Transportation network is adequate, with freight rail service, Immokalee Regional Airport,
and an adequate (and improving) local transportation network.
· The Foreign Trade Zone designation at the Immokalee Regional Airport, while not wholly
unique in the broader region, is a strong competitive advantage.
· In addition to the Foreign Trade Zone, the Immokalee area is the target of a wide variety fof
federal and state programs and incentives.
· Excellent climate and access to a variety of natural amenities, as well as the agricultural
tradition.'
· Large tracts of relatively cheap land for commercial and residential development.
· Long-term development of Ave Maria University will bring significant economic investment
and jobs into the area, and will also generate significant demand for new housing, some of
5 "Reaching a Market Bigger Than New York City Right Outside Your Door: A Marketing Blueprint for Glades
County, Hendry County and Immokalee," prepared by Development Counselors International (New York, NY0 for
the Southwest Florida Regional Planning Council, September 2002.
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which could be captured in and around Immokalee. The construction effort could create
jobs in the short term.
· Immokalee's rather unique position as a rural area in a wealthy county provides access to
resources that other primarily rural counties do not have, even at a lower county millage tax
rate.
Challenges
· Blight and lack of true sense of "place" where the local population can congregate. The
gateway corridors, or front doors, into the city are of particular concern.
· Immokalee not viewed as an acceptable place to live by many potential employees. About
74% of firms rated Immokalee as a fair or very poor place to live. Lack of adequate retail,
services (including health care) and entertainment options are especially strong barriers to
quality of life in the area.
· Immokalee Regional Airport currently limited with lack of commercial space, short runways
and day-only flight service.
· Lack of skilled labor force. A study of the existing businesses found that lack of viable labor
skills, poor work habit, language barriers, and high competition for the skilled employees
that do exist presented a considerable obstacle to recruitment (all references to business
surveys are from a recent study of existing businesses in Immokalee6).
· Local and countywide economies are dependent on a few industries - residential
development and retail/services along the coast and traditional agricultural services in the
Immokalee area - that are not viewed as sustainable sources of growth in the long term.
· While there have been some high-profile economic development successes in some
neighboring rural counties, overall economic growth in the comparable rural counties has
been modest.
· Lack of existing commercial space that can accommodate relocating or expanding firms.
The cost of constructing new space often requires rents that are above the ability/willingness
of firms to pay.
· Impact fees add considerably to the cost of doing business.
· Cost of doing business much lower than coastal areas, but higher than comparable, rural
areas (even without impact fees).
· Limited quality housing options, at both the affordable and market-rate price points.
· A significant number of Immokalee area employees - especially moderate- and middle-
income residents - are choosin.g not to live in the Immokalee area. Anecdotally, these
households tend to live in places such as Golden Gate and Lehigh Acres (Lee County).
6 "lmmokalee, Florida, Business Retention and Expansion Visitation Program," prepared by Henry Cothran and
Steve Jacob in August 15, 2001.
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· The inability to capture these households limits the ability of the Immokalee area (and
County) to recycle wage dollars and support a healthy, local retail and services
establishment.
· The presence of a significant number of transient, seasonal farm workers further limits
investment in the Immokalee community.
· State housing funds (SHIP) are being cut in half, and may be going away altogether in the
coming years.
· Little tourism infrastructure (hotels, active programming of natural sites and amenities, etc.)
limits tourism potential as an economic generator.
· Immokalee's place in Collier County is also a challenge, as it is difficult with county-wide
policies to accurately reflect the realities of the very different areas - Immokalee and coastal
Collier.
Community Needs
Through the Situation Analysis and interviews with local stakeholders, we have identified the
current needs of the community, in particular the desired results of the successful implementation
of an economic and community development incentive strategy. The community needs are as
follows:
· A level economic playing field so that Immokalee can effectively compete for new job
growth in the County and the region.
· A diversified local economy that moves away from dependence on the traditional
agricultural economy.
· A sustainable revitalization strategy that over time will not rely on continued subsidies from
the County.
· A comprehensive workforce development than can stimulate and maintain the long-term,
sustainable economic growth.
· An understanding of the effect that impact fees on the cost of doing business, the ability to
construct commercial space development and the ability to provide housing at all price
point, but in particular affordable and workforce housing.
· A growth strategy and land use plan that recognizes and reflects Immokalee's unique
conditions, and understands that codes and ordinances designed for Naples may not be
appropriate (or economically feasible) in the Immokalee area.
· An economic development voice that is wholly committed to Immokalee.
· A set of programs or incentives that can begin to stimulate the local
development/investment community to develop in Immokalee, in particular with regards to
the production of commercial space and quality housing.
· The capture and retention of households who work in Immokalee - many who work in
Immokalee now commute from other areas in Collier and Lee County due to a lack of
quality housing stock and the negative perception of the Immokalee area.
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· The capture and retention of dollars generated in Immokalee, but often lost as households
choose to live elsewhere - the recycling of dollars within a community is critical if a
healthy retail and services sector is to be established.
· A vibrant and pleasant community that is a more desirable place to work and live.
Opportunities
The current physical, demographic and economic conditions in Immokalee are strong obstacles to
economic growth. Those obstacles associated with the ease or cost of doing business, can be
addressed through direct incentives programs. Other obstacles will require a longer-term process of
public and private investment - workforce development, provision of quality housing at a variety of
price points, creation of an adequate retail and services, etc.
Still, amid these obstacles, strong opportunities do exist. The key opportunities for future growth in
Immokalee include:
1. Diversification of local and countywide economy by attracting industries that will not
naturally consider coastal areas (primarily due to costs) and by "leveling the playing field"
relative to competitive regional locations. Target industries will include manufacturing and
food processing, warehousing and distribution, and perhaps in the mid term, some back
office or call center space (especially if bilingual skills are a competitive advantage).
2. Development of targeted, fiscally responsible and Immokalee-appropriate economic
development tools and incentives in order to achieve economic growth and diversification.
3. Better utilization of the airport as a critical economic development tool. This opportunity
will likely require continued investment in the airport with the long-term economic benefit
in mind.
4. Development of a commercial market that can accommodate current and future demand
pressures.
5. The long-term development of an educated workforce that will be a strong competitive
advantage when targeting relocating or expanding businesses.
6. Creation of a vibrant and pleasant community in which to work and live. This will include
continued investment in the community's social fabric, as well as the physical improvement
of blighted areas, especially in the gateway corridors.
7. Building off the successes of the Jubilation and Arrowhead Reserve communities, including
mining the lessons learned at those communities in order to reduce in the future the barriers
to quali.ty, workforce and market-rate housing production.
8. The capture of a significant share of Immokalee employees who are currently leaving the
area to live in other parts of Collier or Lee County. This group includes important
community stakeholders, such as smaller businessmen, schoolteachers, police officers, etc.,
and when these types of persons leave the result is a drain on the community and social
infrastructure.
9. The capture of recycled dollars that are now leaving the Immokalee area, and therefore not
spending in Immokalee and supporting local retail and services establishments.
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10. The movement of current residents from Iow tax revenue producing housing - rental,
overcrowded units, etc. - to new, quality housing in the community.
1 1. The identification and pursuit of niche economic and housing engines, such as eco-tourism,
retirement master planned communities or the future development around Ave Maria
University.
12. Overall, the creation of a growing, sustainable community in Immokalee that moves away
from dependence on county subsidy.
The opportunities are not wholly the natural results of current trends. These opportunities will only
be made real if they are proactively pursued through an aggressive incentives strategy. The
following section outlines the key incentives we have identified that set the stage for realizing these
opportunities.
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INCENTIVES ANALYSIS
Economic development incentives are not ~magic bullets." They do not necessarily create jobs or
development activity out of thin air, nor do they dramatically redirect growth in regions where
stronger growth factors - infrastructure, access to a skilled workforce with available labor, access to
appropriately priced land or commercial space, desirability of residential locations, etc. - shape
where the jobs are locating.
Incentives can be critical tools for economic development, however, as they often aim to remove
critical impediments to growth and level the playing field among otherwise similar jurisdictions. In
our needs assessment, we have identified several key impediments to growth in Immokalee that
must be addressed through a business and community development strategy.
The following section will discuss a number of incentives that should be considered for Immokalee.
Our discussion of the particular incentives will be informed not only by the situation analysis and
needs assessment, but also by secondary research and targeted interviews with economic
development officials in other jurisdictions. In these interviews, we have sought to understand the
current "best practices" in the economic development field, the role that particular incentives have
played in economic development successes, lessons learned from past and present economic
development efforts, and the costs (both real and opportunity) associated with particular incentive
programs.
Although we have considered programs in jurisdictions throughout Florida and the nation, we have
focused primarily on local jurisdictions with a similar demographic and economic profile to that of
Immokalee. This is primarily because of the desire to learn lessons from areas that are most
comparable to Immokalee, but also because these are the jurisdictions that the Immokalee area will
be competing with for new job creation, and thus it is important to understand to what extent
Immokalee must level the playing field, as well as to know what has been a successful strategy in
similar situations.
Federal and State Level Incentives
The focus of out work was the role that local incentives play on economic development efforts.
However, local incentives are certainly not the only source of incentives; in fact, a much larger
source of incentives are available at the federal and state levels. For example:
· The Immokalee Regional Airport is a federally-designated Foreign Trade Zone, which
provides strong incentives to firms engaged in import and export trade, although the custom
facilities are now just being established.
· The Immokalee Foreign Entrpreneurial Investment Zone, which allows foreign investors to
attain permanent U.S. residency through investment in a local business, and the NADBank
Community Adjustment and Investment Program, which pays bank loan fees for loans
through the SBA or USDA, are the result of Immokalee's designation as a community
adversely affected by NAFTA.
· Immokalee is also designated as a federal Hub Zone, which gives Immokalee firms
preferential treatment when doing business with federal agencies.
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A business in the Immokalee area also has access to several state programs (in addition to the funds
available to all businesses in the state):
· Enterprise Zone, which provides sales and corporate tax credits to firms.
· Rural Economic Development Initiative, which provided Immokalee with special
consideration for the Qualified Target Industry (QTI) Tax Refund Program, the Quick
Response Training (QRT) Program, Incumbent Worker Training (IWT) Program, Rural Job
Tax Credit, and Rural Community Development Revolving Loan Program.
· State Housing Initiative Program (SHIP) funds, which funds locally-derived programs in
support of affordable housing development. Just this year, the available SHIP funds in
Collier County have been by nearly one-third. There is some speculation that the program
is scheduled to be cut at the state level.
In many counties we studied, few local incentives are being utilized. In these cases, the economic
development focus was placed upon leveraging the state and federal dollars - examples include
Glades, Desoto, and Charlotte counties. From a local perspective, using only federal and state
funds is fiscally prudent, since the program require little if any investment from the local budget.
Collier County must ensure that all the available federal and state sources are known, completely
understood, heavily marketed and fully utilized so that precious local dollars and resources can be
most effectively leveraged.
The next sections will discuss the target of this study - the toolbox of local incentives that can
address the particular challenges and obstacles in the Immokalee area. This critical piece of the
evaluation of the local incentives is an analysis of the each incentives' fiscal impacts.
Fiscal Impact Analysis
In order to truly assess the desirability of specific incentives, we must first understand the
underlying fiscal environment. The fiscal model for new job creation used for this study is
provided at the end of this report in Appendices 2 through 5. Multiple scenarios were run through
the fiscal model, in order to account for the different average wage requirements and different land
uses - we tested job creation scenarios for industrial/warehouse, flex, office and medical office. As
it turns out, the type of space that is developed has a considerable effect on the fiscal impact, due to
differing number of square feet required per job and valuations.
We assumed throughout the scenarios that a minimum of five jobs will be created - an increase in
jobs certainly changes the absolute fiscal benefit, but changes very little the fiscal benefit per job.
The fiscal model assumes three sources of revenues associated with new commercial development:
1) direct benefits from the net gain in property and personal tax payments; 2) revenue derived from
various fees and service charges, including permit fees, occupational licenses, state revenue sharing
and other miscellaneous service charges; and, 3) revenues from new residents, including revenue
from net property taxes, fees, service charges, and state revenue sharing.
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Figure 15: Fiscal Benefits and Returns, Minimum of 5 lobs Created, Before Incentives
% Avg. Wage
Requirement
Fiscal Benefit Fiscal Benefit
50%
75%
115%
125%
NPV Per Job NPV Per Job
Industrial Flex/Business Park
$76,856 $15,371 $72,856 $14,571
$85,506 $17,101 $81,506 $16,301
$99,411 $19,882 $95,411 $19,082
$102,806 $20,561 $98,806 $19,761
Office Medical Office
50% $53,979 $10,796 $61,989 $12,398
75% $62,629 $12,526 $70,639 $14,128
115% $76,534 $15,307 $84,544 $16,909
125% $79,929 $15,986 $87,939 $17,588
We have assumed only operational costs. Increased capital costs due to new development are
covered by impact fees, which are not accounted as a source of revenue. We also did not assume
any further induced impacts, such as supportive retail development or increased job creation due to
clustering. Thus, we believe that the model presents an accurate, if not conservative, portrayal of
the fiscal benefits associated with new job creation.
As provided above in Figure 15, the fiscal benefit per new job created, before any incentives are
accounted for, ranges from approximately $10,000 to $20,000. The net fiscal impact was run for
the various land uses, with different assumption with regards to average wage requirements.
Industrial or flex uses, which we expect will be the primarily land use in the Immokalee area,
generate a net fiscal benefit ranging from $15,000 to $20,000 per job. This fiscal net benefit will
be available for proposed economic development incentives.
Figure 16: Economic Incentives Analyzed
County's Economic
Diversification
* Fast Track Regulatory
Process
* Impact/Permit Fee
Revolvin§ Fund
* Property Tax Abatement
* Job Creation Grant
Regulatory/Public Realm
Incentives
* Focus on Immokalee
* Special Immokalee
District
*Code Enforcement
* Public Realm
Investments
* Workforce Development * Immokalee Regional
G rant Airport
* Broadbrand Infrastructure
Grant
Development
Subsidies/Incentives
* Business Park
Development
* Commercial Space
Development
* Public-Private
Partnerships
Housing Incentives
* Impact Fee
Deferral/Housing Fund
* Infrastructure Investment
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As shown in Figure 1 6 above, we have looked at a varied typology of economic development tools.
These incentives were selected based upon our research and the community needs assessment,
although EDC and County staff is already actively developing an Economic Diversification Program,
which will be discussed first.
Collier County's Economic Diversification Program
For most of the incentives within the proposed Economic Diversification Program, the Immokalee
Enterprise Zone is targeted with a special set of incentives, in particular lower threshold for average
wage requirement and job creation. The critical question is the extent to which these incentives
completely address the unique challenges associated with business development in Immokalee. A
description and assessment of each of the proposed incentives, in this context, is provided below.
Fast Track Regulatory Process
The County already has an informal fast-track process for qualified firms, which includes target
industry firms with an average wage 1 15% of the County average and most new development in
the Immokalee Enterprise Zone. The new ordinance will formalize the process.
A fast track permitting and/or approval process is one of the most popular incentives provided by
local governments, primarily because the fast track process is viewed as having relatively little costs
but potentially large benefits. While not seen as a primary attracter of new job growth and firm
relocation, an-expedited approvals process can often be the "deal clincher," especially for firms
expanding within a jurisdiction. The time spent navigating the approvals process is a hidden cost,
although businesses certainly view the saved time in terms of real dollars.
One potential problem associated with a fast track approval process is that non-qualifying
businesses can feel left out, or even worse, treated unfairly. Obviously, as one project moves to the
front of the line, it often means that applications that are already in line are made to wait longer.
While we have not heard of any programs having been challenged legally, we did hear several
examples of frustrated businesses. The most problems have occurred in counties where the process
is not formalized, and local businesses have argued that the program was arbitrary.
In fact, in most of the counties we surveyed the fast track process is informal, with explicit approval
for county leadership and staff, but no legislative action to create a formal process. Often, in
smaller counties with relatively little permitting activity - such as Hendry, Glades and Hardee
counties - officials felt that a formal process was not absolutely necessary. In Lee an ordinance has
been passed that requires fast track review for critical economic development projects, but no
formal structure has been established.
Manatee County's Rapid Response permitting team and Sarasota County's SMART (Sarasota Means
Action Response Team) program are examples of much more formal processes. The SMART
program is rather unique, in that is highly flexible and can fast track development proposals as well.
Manatee qualified firms through job creation criteria, and therefore speculative commercial or
residential development is not eligible.
The fast track regulatory process is critically important in order to remain competitive in the region.
Given the size of Collier County, and the distinct differences between the different parts of the
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County, it is important that the fast track process is formalized, so that one area of the County does
not perceive unfair or preferential treatment. The program requirements for new or expanding
businesses, as proposed, appear to be on target.
The program should also be expanded to include speculative commercial and residential
developments in the Immokalee Enterprise Zone, if these projects are deemed to significantly
contribute to the economic development in the County. It is critical that all resources in
Immokalee target not only new or expanding firms, but also developments that confront critical
needs in the area, such as the lack of available commercial space, quality housing, retail and
services, etc. The requirements should be purposely left flexible, at least in the short term, as most
developments within the Immokalee area will be important from an economic development
standpoint.
Impact/Permit Fee Revolving Loan Fund
Impact fees do present a considerable obstacle to investment in Immokalee. Collier County has
proposed a fund that will offset impact and permitting fees associated with new construction or
building expansion for firms that meet specific wage and job creation criteria - at least 115% of
average wage and 10 jobs, with a 50% average wage requirement and 5 jobs for firms located in
the Enterprise Zone. The payment will be treated as a no-interest loan, with principal payments
made through the firm's annual property tax payments. The maximum amount of the loan will be
equal to 10 years worth of property tax payments at the present day valuation and millage rate. The
fund will be capitalized with an initial outlay of $1,000,000 from the County' general fund.
Many of the rural counties in south Florida - and in fact most counties in all of Florida - do not
charge impact fees, and therefore by definition offer impact fee waivers. Of nearby counties that
do have impact fees, Sarasota County has a program that exempts the road impact fees for specific
businesses expanding within the County; however, the program is not widely marketed by
economic development staff, and is only used to assist specific projects deemed as critical by the
County Commission.
It is politically difficult - and perhaps legally dangerous - to waive impact fees outright. Several of
the economic development officials we spoke with indicated that they have been advised by their
county lawyers that impact fees could not be waived, as those areas or groups that were required to
still pay fees could fee that they were being treated unfairly. It is unclear how much of this legal
advice was more due to political sensitivities than an actual analysis of the law. In fact, it seems
that often impact fees, when enforced uniformly across a diverse county, do not reflect the actual
capital cost requirements of a particular area(s). For example, the Immokalee water and sewer
district does not charge impact fees due to excess capacity; many in Immokalee feel the same could
be said about road and other impact fees.
Waiving impact fees is not only politically and legally undesirable, it is also a dangerous strategy for
revitalizing areas, as it cuts a significant source of capital investment that can support future growth.
A preferred solution for the Immokalee area, therefore, would be to reevaluate the relevance of
current impact fees for Immokalee, and reset fees - or waive them outright - if it is found that
development in Immokalee does not require impact fees. Another solution, which is the one
proposed by Collier County and has been used elsewhere, is to continue to pay the impact fees
through a separate fund set aside for that purpose. For a fund to sustainable, the fund must be
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replenished with a flow of funds, especially if significant economic growth occurs in qualified
industries. In Collier County's proposed program the sustainable funding source is property taxes
collected over time, thus the upfront costs for local governments can be significant.
Our research has found that the effect of impact fee exemptions is debatable. The conventional
wisdom is that impact fees are strong impediments to growth, especially in distressed areas where
the value creation is limited by strong price sensitivity. Yet, there is little evidence that removing
impact fees creates significant growth in distressed or slow growth areas. For example, an impact
fee waiver program in Hillsborough County resulted in some increased growth in specified waiver
zones, but 'primarily in the zones that were in the path of rapid growth, and not the areas that
historically suffered from lack of investment.
In areas such as Collier County with very high impact fees, the impact fees account for only 6% to
8% of total development costs - a significant amount, but not enough for developers or businesses
to move to a location perceived as inferior or risky. With that said, the 6%-8% does have a
significant affect on the already slim margin of commercial or residential development in a
challenged environment. Removing the barriers for existing, local investors is the critical piece
here. Mitigating impact fees is also critical if an area is competing with another location that is very
similar with regards to other factors (workforce, quality of environment, land/space availability and
price, etc.). In this case, the costs associated with impact fees can be a deciding factor.
Exempting impact fees will not shift much growth from coastal areas to Immokalee, no matter the
size of the impact fee differential; the coastal areas have competitive advantages that outweigh, for
most businesses that would look at that location, the short-term cost of impact fees. However,
exemption of impact fees could have a much stronger effect on: 1) investment in Immokalee from
local investors for whom impact fees inhibit development, given tight margins; and, 2) firms who
are evaluating the cost of doing business in Immokalee versus other rural counties.
As proposed in the Economic Diversification, establishing an impact fee fund - which is sustained
through property tax repayments - is an effective incentive in the Immokalee area. As with the fast
track process, the proposed fund should be expanded to include developers who construct
speculative commercial space. A minimum building size of 10,000 square feet would ensure that
the incentive created a significant impact on the availability of space in the local market. Further,
as proposed, the Collier County program would cover the equivalent of ten years worth of property
taxes, in current dollars at current millage rates. While we will discuss this further when we look at
the fiscal impacts of the incentives, the ten-year limit may not allow for enough coverage of fees,
thus reducing the effectiveness of the program. A longer time period may be preferred.
Property Tax Abatement
The EDC and County program proposes a 10-year property tax abatement (of the County's portion
of the millage rate) for new and expanding business in target industries that meet specific wage and
job creation criteria (see above). The tax abatement program is an alternative to the impact fee
fund discussed above; a firm can choose either option, but not both.
Property tax abatement is one of the most common direct financial incentives used by local
governments, often because it is the largest revenue source under local control. This is certainly
true in Florida, where local governments have few taxation options. They are also popular because
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despite the 10-year, tax-free window, in the long term they typically result in strong fiscal benefits,
as long as the local government is taking a long-term view of revenues - and the property in
question continues to appreciate over time.
Property tax abatement programs currently exist in Hendry and Okeechobee counties, with each
abating up to 100% of the county's portion of the millage rate for up to ten years. As purely rural
counties, Hendry and Okeechobe have much higher millage rates than Collier - 2 to 2.5 times
higher for the County portion of the millage rate - and thus these abatements are critical to leveling
the playing field. Of course, these counties also do not have impact fees.
Collier County's property tax abatement proposal presents an alternative to the impact fee fund.
While the property tax abatement does not present any strong negatives, it is highly doubtful that it
will be viewed as useful to most businesses. Any rational decision-maker would apparently always
decide to forgo the upfront, lump sum payment of impact fees and pay smaller property tax
increments over time, than pay upfront and receive smaller abatements over time. The only
situation where a decision maker would choose the property tax abatement alternative - other than
a situation where impact fees were already exempted without use of property tax funds - is where
it was assumed that taxes would increase (through an increase in value and/or millage rate) over
time at a rate higher than the cost of capital. Even a conservative private investor would view the
cost of capital as between 8% and 10%; it is doubtful real estate taxes will increase at this annual
rate over the next ten years.
As with the above incentives, the property tax abatement should also be offered to developers of
speculative commercial space.
Job Creation Grant
The proposed Collier County program will provide grants of $2,000 to $3,000 per new job created
for qualified firms. The wage and job creation requirements are the same as discussed above, with
non-Enterprise Zone firms paying at least 115% of average wage receiving $2,000 per job, and
firms located in the Enterprise Zone receiving $3,000 per job. If a firm receives funding through
the state's QTI program, the local award drops to $1,000 per job. The job creation fund will be
initially capitalized with $500,000 County outlay.
Several counties have enacted job creation incentives, although the proposed Collier plan is
considerably more aggressive. For example, Lee County offers $3,000 per job for Enterprise Zone
firms, although the average wage must be 115% or more of the county's average wage, and firms
paying less than 100% receive no incentive. Other examples include: Charlotte County, which
offers $1,000 per job; Cape Coral, which offers $1,500 per job; and Palm Beach County, which
offers $2,000 per job, but requires a minimum of 50 new jobs created at 100% of the county's
average wage.
Job creation grants are attractive to businesses because of their flexibility. Instead of tying funds to
one particular purpose, businesses can decide to use the funds for a wide variety of purposes. For
example, in Lee County most recipients have used the grants to lower impact fees, since Lee
County does not offer an impact fee abatement program. Other firms may use the funds towards
workforce training, relocation costs, capital improvements, etc.
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The local job creation programs do have a state counterpart - the QTI - that offers up to $6,000 per
job tax credits with 20% of the QTI incentive must be covered by the local government. Most
counties offer an "either/or" proposition, with firms receiving state QTI funds not eligible for local
funds, or eligible for funds at a reduced level. While QTI funds offer significantly more money than
purely local incentives, many firms will choose the local programs due to relative lack of red tape
or looser requirements.
The criticism of job creation grants tends to be that they are corporate giveaways, and they
generally subsidize activity that would have occurred otherwise. Local officials tended to praise the
grants as an effective means of leveling the playing field, especially if used as part of a package of
incentives. However, it was also stated that the grants by themselves will not dramatically
influence location decisions. The job creation grants tend to be more unpopular in less affluent
counties, as the upfront costs of creating the fund can be high and the grant fund is non-
replenishing.
The proposed Collier County job creation incentives are aggressive, especially when considered
alongside the other incentive programs. This level of aggressiveness, however, does not mean that
the program is undesirable. In fact, the aggressive job creation grants may help mitigate some
additional costs of doing business in Immokalee relative to its more rural neighbors. These costs
may include excess impact fees not covered by the impact fee fund, property taxes not abated,
additional workforce training required, or higher costs of land.
Workforce Development Grant
This program will provide up to $3,000 per job for qualified firms relocating or expanding in
Immokalee. The grant amount will step up as the average wage does: firms paying 50% of county
average wage will receive $1,000 per job, with an additional $1,000 per job for paying 75% and
an additional $2,000 per job for paying 100% or over. The fund will initially be capitalized
through a $100,000 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) grant.
We did not find any examples of similar, local workforce development grants. At the state level,
the QRT offers a similar incentive, and many local economic development officials throughout the
state are utilizing the state funds to their full capability. Workforce development grants are one of
the more attractive incentives because they combine an economic incentive with a long-term
community good - workforce development
The development of skills among the workforce is of particular importance in the Immokalee area.
Broader, community-focused workforce development efforts will be critical to creating a strong
local economy over the long term. Job-specific training, as described here will also be critical to
quickly marrying learned skills with jobs.
The importance of workforce development suggests that the workforce development grant may
need to be increased further, in order tO provide an even greater incentive for firms to utilize the
funds. However, the source of funding for the current program, as well as any increases in the
incentives package, is in question. The CDBG funds are attractive because of their flexibility, but it
is not clear that the CDBG funds will be a sustainable source of funding.
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Broadband Infrastructure Fund
This program reimburses firms for the cost of installing high-speed internet wiring. All firms in
Collier County are eligible, although the buildings must be designated as "Smart Buildings." The
cost of rehabilitation is reimbursed through property tax credits, up to $25,000.
Around the nation and Florida there exist numerous local government programs that incentivize
rehabilitation. Often the goal is removal of blight or beautification through the leveraging of private
initiative. This innovative program creates an incentive for an even more critical task, as the
upgrading of the internet infrastructure - even if done building by building - will create a solid
foundation for future economic growth. Immokalee, in particular, suffers from a poor
communications infrastructure, and this incentive is a relatively Iow cost solution.
Overall Assessment
The proposed Economic Diversification program establishes a number of strong, effective
incentives, which properly packaged could be important tools for Immokalee. Figure 17 provides
the results of our fiscal impact analysis after accounting for the incentives in the Economic
Diversification program. The NPV column shows the net present value of the fiscal impact, and the
ROI is the return on the public investment - i.e., the cost of the incentives.
Figure 17: Fiscal Benefits and Returns, Minimum of 5 lobs Create, After Incentives
Assuming Impact Fee Fund Based Upon Ten-Year Property Tax Refund I
% Avg. Wage Fiscal Benefit Fiscal Benefit [
Requirement NP_~V Per JOb ROI NPV Per Job ROI
Industrial Flex/Business Park
50% $38,079 $7,616 11.3% $34,079 $6,816 10.8%
75% $41,729 $8,346 11.2% $37,730 $7,546 10.7%
115% $50,634 $10,127 11.7'/o $46,634 $9,327 11.2%
125% $54,030 $10,806 12.1% $50,030 $10,006 11.6%
Office Medical Office
50% $22,664 $4,533 10.1% $28,149 $5,630 10.6%
75% $26,315 $5,263 10.0% $31,799 $6,360 10.5%
115% $35,219 $7,044 10.8% $40,704 $8,141 11.2%
125% $38,615 $7,723 11.2% $44,099 $8,820 11.6%
The proposed incentives - assuming all are utilized at once - cut the net fiscal benefit of the job
creation roughly in half. Still, the net fiscal benefits are still very strong, from $7,000 and $10,000
for the land uses most likely to locate in the Immokalee area. Further, return on the public
investment are very strong, further proof that the proposed incentives in the Economic
Diversification represent a fiscally and financially sound investment.
All of the incentives outlined in the County's program are appropriate, and all should contribute
significantly to the economic development of the Immokalee area. However, some changes could
be made to further enhance their value to Immokalee specifically, as discussed below:
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Figure
In Immokalee, development in all most forms will be important economic development
initiatives. Thus, the fast track permitting, the impact fee deferral, and property tax
abatement incentives should be extended to include activities other than job creation in the
specified target industries. In particular, commercial and residential developers, and retail
development (at least in the short term) should also have access to these incentives.
The impact fee revolving fund, as proposed, has a maximum limit, which is based upon the
assertion that total excepted fees should not exceed ten years worth of property taxes,
assuming current value and millage rates. The result is that while impact fees are mitigated,
we have found that a large amount of the fees are not covered. For example, only 40% of
the fees associated with the development of an industrial building are covered under the
10-year cap assumption. As shown in Figure 18, if a 1 5-year abatement in current dollars is
assumed, there is only a small decrease in net fiscal return - between $600 and $1,400
dollars per job - and returns on investment remain in a range more than adequate from a
public investment perspective. Under this scenario, 90% of the impact fees for the
development of an industrial building are covered by the incentive. We recommend that in
the lmmokalee Enterprise Zone that the 1 5-year cap is adopted, replacing the 1 O-year cap.
18: Fiscal Benefits and Returns, Minimum of 5 lobs Create, After Incentives
Assuming Impact Fee Fund Based Upon Fifteen-Year Property Tax Refund
% Avg. Wage Fiscal Benefit Fiscal Benefit
Requirement NPV Per Job ROI NPV Per Job ROI
Industrial Flex/Business Park
50% $31,191 $6,238 9.6% $27,191 $5,438 9.1%
75% $34,841 $6,968 9.7% $30,841 $6,168 9.2%
115% $43,746 $8,749 10.2% $39,746 $7,949 9.8%
125% $47,141 $9,428 10.6% $43,142 $8,628 10.2 %
Office Medical Office
50% $19,507 $3,901 9.1% $23,729 $4,746 9.4%
75% $23,157 $4,631 9.2% $27,379 $5,476 9.5%
115 % $32,062 $6,412 10.0% $36,284 $7,257 10.1%
125% $35,458 $7,092 10.5% $39,679 $7,936 10.5%
We believe that there is an opportunity to more aggressively position the workforce
development grant program in the Immokalee Enterprise Zone. The workforce
development grant is one of the more critical incentives in the Immokalee area, as it serves
a long term public and economic good, as well as further mitigating one of the more
prominent short-term challenges of the Immokalee economy - selling business on the
location despite a skilled workforce. Interviews with economic development officials
strongly suggest that additional workforce funding would be a strong competitive
advantage. We recommend that an additional $1,000 workforce grant per job is made
available to selected firms located in the Immokalee Enterprise Zone - local economic
development staff should have the flexibility to identify those firms that require the
additional training funds.
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Overall, we believe that the Economic Diversification Program offers a critical set of incentives that
will provide attractive incentives to relocate or expand in Immokalee. The changes recommended
above will help further cater those proposed incentives to Immokalee's particular needs.
After these incentives are accounted for, there is still significant net fiscal benefit remaining. Since
we expect most of the jobs created to be in the industrial sector, we estimate the nest fiscal benefit,
after all potential incentives in the Economic Diversification Program (including the changes
recommended in our report), to be approximately $5,500 per job.
Regulatory/Public Realm Incentives
Not all incentives need to be direct financial assistance or tax/fee abatements, as often revised
regulatory processes can remove even more obstacles in provide greater time and cost savings.
Further the public and quasi-public sector plays a key role in marketing a location, and creating the
long-term economic environment within which growth can occur.
Putting a True Focus on Immokalee
In nearly every interview with economic development officials, among the top reasons given why a
particular economic development effort was successful was the commitment and tenacity of the
economic development staff. In most of these cases, the counties were relatively monolithic; the
economic development staff had a clear vision of the relative strengths and weaknesses of their
location, and could act as a fully committed champion of why their particular place in the world
was the best fit.
Clearly, Immokalee is very different from other parts of Collier County - and very different from
how most people likely perceive Collier County. Countywide strategies and marketing efforts
might mention Immokalee (and often might not), but do not necessarily bring it the forefront, or
aggressively sell its competitive strengths. We have found that economic development efforts are
scattered, and often there is no clear connection between local efforts and the Naples-focused
efforts. Further, while Immokalee does have several strong community organizations and private
businesspersons working towards revitalizing the area and bringing in jobs, there is often little
coordination between these efforts. Immokalee needs a distinct, strong economic development
presence that is committed fully to Immokalee and its future, and that can bring together the local
community.
A strong focus on Immokalee should include the creation of a distinct quasi-governmental entity,
perhaps under the auspices of the existing Collier County EDC, which has recently opened an
Immokalee office. The Immokalee economic development entity should have dedicated staff
trained to recruit and assist busineeses, and a distinct marketing presence - business cards,
brochures, web site, etc. The key is that this person(s) would act as a fully committed single point
of contact for any inquiries or outreach efforts regarding Immokalee, as well as other regulatory
initiatives, such as the fast track permitting process. The Immokalee economic development
organization should also play a key role in administering county-wide incentives - such as the
proposed Economic Diversification Program when they apply to Immokalee.
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There may be some concern in the County that a distinct economic development organization in
Immokalee would create an unhealthy competitive environment within the County. The fear
would be that the County would be funding an organization that would then cannibalize the
county-wide economic development efforts. We strongly believe that this would not be the case,
as the Immokalee area will be attractive primarily to users who would not otherwise choose to
locate in the western Collier, either because of costs or the fact that the coastal communities would
not want such uses. We expect Immokalee to compete primarily with other rural counties - these
counties typically have a single strong voice marketing their locations, which is a strong
competitive advantage to the current situation in Immokalee.
Economic Development and Workforce Development
A longer-term goal of the Immokalee economic development organization should be directing and
assisting workforce development efforts. Workforce development in Immokalee should take
several forms, including training in high school and vocational schools, general adult education and
training, as well as targeted training for industries that represent particular opportunities in
Immokalee. Opportunities may occur through the relocation or expansion of a particular firm,
which would then have access to state and local workforce development grants. However,
proactively identifying trends and opportunities, and preparing the workforce to meet those specific
opportunities is also critical. The staff of the Immokalee economic development organization must
be tied into the local, regional and national trends, in order to provide direction to the existing
workforce development infrastructure.
Based upon interviews with local stakeholders in Immokalee, it appears that currently the
workforce development infrastructure is not equipped to meet these demands. The workforce
training that does exist appears to focus primarily on life skills training, and several local
stakeholders have indicated that the local schools system does provide adequate vocational
training. The recently developed Immokalee One Stop Career Center could conceivably fill this
critical need in the future.
Immokalee Overlay District
The unique character of Immokalee requires a set of distinct land use policies, regulations and
ordinances. An overlay district is a common planning tool for establishing these distinct sets of
rules for areas that require special or unique attention. A detailed analysis of policies and
regulations in Collier County is outside the scope of work for this assignment; however, anecdotal
evidence gathered through conversations with Immokalee residents and business owners strongly
suggests that several aspects of the current code reflect the vision for the coastal communities, and
not Immokalee. For example, landscaping and signage requirements are meant to help maintain an
aesthetic environment in commercial districts, which is an important goal in coastal Collier County,
but can impose costs that local Immokalee business and homeowners cannot afford to bear.
Other Regulatory Incentives
· While waiving or exempting impact fees is a first priority in Immokalee, at the very least the
payment of impact fees should be timed to meet the reality of developing in an area such as
Immokalee. Currently, Collier County requires that 50% of fees are paid when a site is
platted, which can be months or years before any revenue is produced from site
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development. As developers and businesses in Immokalee are often working on very slim
development margins, such large, upfront capital costs can sink a project. In Cape Coral,
the payment of impact fees is deferred until occupancy, as long as the occupancy is within
36 months of the platting. At the very least, if impact fees cannot be waived or exempted,
developers and businesses in Immokalee should be able to pay such fees when the
buildings are being occupied, not platted.
· Investment in the public realm is critical - creating an attractive physical environment is a
key factor in attracting new businesses, maintaining and expanding existing businesses, and
allowing for the development of a vibrant housing market. The Immokalee area has several
areas of physical blight, and its gateway corridors are especially challenged. One critical
step towards rectifying this situation will be a more adamant enforcement of building codes.
A broader strategy of targeted investment in the public realm needs to be established as
well. Existing programs such as the Main Street Project, the mural project and the North
Entry Beautification need to be continued, expanded and leveraged. Use of funds targeted
for the development of the public realm should include: rehabilitation grants and no-
interest/Iow-interest loans for commercial businesses; acquisition and removal of
condemnable properties; creating walkable sidewalks and planting of street trees, building
community parks, etc.
Overall Assessment - Regulator~' Incentives and Investment in the Public Realm
Regulatory reform and incentives remove critical hidden costs. While the benefits of direct
incentives to businesses can be more easily measured in dollars, offering a streamlined, business-
friendly regulatory environment is often even more valuable.
With its current economic development and regulatory apparatus, Immokalee is at a competitive
disadvantage relative to many of its competitive neighbors. While more monolithic counties offer a
single voice and a land use code and ordinance that reflects its environment, Immokalee is in a
situation where its voice and regulatory environment is defined primarily by coastal area. We
strongly believe that Immokalee needs its own economic development voice, and a regulatory
environment that understands the unique needs.
As shown in Figure 19 below (and Appendix 6), we have estimated recurring costs associated with
the various programs and incentives recommended above. In almost all the cases, we have
assumed that the recurring dollars projected here will be leveraged by existing expenditures or
funds. For example, funds towards increased code enforcement or an overlay district would be
used to perhaps hire another code enforcer and/or planner, but a significant share of the salaries
and overhead may be covered by the County's existing code budget for those purposes. The
Immokalee economic development organization may also solicit support form the local business
community, state and federal grants, as well as existing budget in Collier County for economic
development activities. Finally, the public realm improvements will need to leverage a wide
variety of funds, including local tax increment financing (TIF) funds through the Immokalee
Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA). In total, we project the recommended incentives will
have recurring costs of $210,000 (in 2003 dollars). These figures are for comparison purposes only,
as the exact cost of implementation was not part of our scope.
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Based upon these assumptions of implementation costs, and assuming the $5,500 net fiscal return
per new job, the above incentives will be covered through the creation of 975 jobs (in target
industries) over a 25-year period. Once again, in our fiscal impact analysis we tried to be
conservative, so that our results could not be construed as overly aggressive or optimistic; thus we
have assumed only the most direct impacts from job creation - the taxes and fees directly
associated employees, residents and direct commercial and residential development - and not any
more indirect (an increase in retail and services) or multipliers.
Figure 19: Fiscal Impact Analysis of Regulatory and Public Realm Incentives
Total
Buildinl~ Tyj~e Assum~on Yrs 1-25
Target Industry lobs Created Due to Incentives
New Target Jobs Created 975
Cumulative New Target Jobs
Net Fiscal Return per Job
Cumulative Fiscal Return
$5,500 $7,820,512
Regulatory Incentives
Immokalee EDC
Code Enforcement
Public Realm Improvements
Overlay District
Recurring
$100,000 -$3,645,926
$35,000 -$1,276,074
$50,000 -$1,822,963
$25,000 -$986,482
TOTAL $210,000 -$ 7,731,446
Cumulative
[ TOTAL $89,067 I
Net Present Value @ 6% $6,432
Even though the fiscal analysis was conservative, it is clear that a relatively modest amount of
development (975 jobs spread over 25 years equates to only 39 new jobs per year, although this
perhaps a more impressive rate given the overall slow pace in Immokalee, especially in the target
industries - manufacturing, distribution, etc.) will justify the proposed programs. Thus, the
proposed Economic Diversification and regulatory/public realm incentives are self-supporting and
sustainable.
Commercial Development Subsidies/Incentives
Creating strong incentives for investment in the development of new commercial space will be
critical to future growth potential. Currently, the Immokalee area suffers from a lack of available
space within which interested companies could quickly located, or existing companies could
quickly expand. This section will discuss several strategies for creating a more active development
environment.
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Business Park Development
The development of publicly owned business parks is a rather common economic development
practice. It is a strategy that is already employed in Immokalee, with the Airport Industrial Park and
is also being utilized in neighboring Hendry and Lee counties, among many others. The primary
benefit of the public sector ownership is that prices and rents can be set below market, which
allows the public sector the nurture maturing industries.
In most cases, these public business parks are most effective where little available finished (with
roads and utilities) commercial land is available, or in areas where the cost of available land is
prohibitive for certain industries deemed critical to the local economy. Neither of these two
situations apply to Immokalee, where land is not prohibitively expensive (the Airport Industrial Park
leases land for $1 per square foot) and available finished land does exist (the Collier County EDC
estimates 4 parks totaling 152 acres currently exist in Immokalee, including the privately held Agri-
Com Industrial Park near the airport). Thus, barring an explosion in demand over the next few
years, the creation of more commercial land should not be a high priority.
Commercial Space Development
However, the lack of commercial space in the Immokalee area is a critical barrier to future
economic development. Relocating businesses interested in Immokalee have nowhere to locate to
in a timely fashion, and are forced to consider building their own space - which is a strong
obstacle, especially for smaller firms, due to the costs and time associated with such a venture.
Perhaps even more troubling, expanding firms have no space to expand into, which forces firms to
consider other locations.
According to discussions with developers in the area, demand for new space is not the most
pressing issue, although most admit speculative development of a larger commercial building
(25,000 square feet or more) would be too risky. The strongest barrier to new development of
commercial space is the rent gap in Immokalee, where the cost of construction exceeds the rents
that can be achieved on the market. It has been stated that a gap of approximately $1 per square
foot currently exists in the marketplace; this has been confirmed, albeit with only a rough degree of
confidence, through a "quick and dirty" financial analysis.
The Collier County Airport Authority has developed two buildings - 12,000 to 15,000 square feet
in size - at the Airport Industrial in order to provide commercial space. The first was set up as a
business incubator, with below market rents ($3.50 to $4.50 per square foot). This building was
partially occupied and fully leased by a firm named Global Manufacturing, who then took on
subleasing and management responsibilities for the remainder of the building. That building is now
fully leased. The second building was recently delivered, with rents closer to market rents ($7.00
to $8.00 per square foot). Global Manufacturing is also subleasing this building, and is actively
seeking tenants for the space. In the second building the Airport Authority is requiring that rents be
paid immediately for all space, a departure from the practice of the incubator, where rents were
often relaxed for a several months so that new tenants could get financially situated and Global
Manufacturing would not be financially hit while space sat vacant.
There has been some criticism from within the County that the development of these buildings has
not resulted in the employment growth that was expected. Although interest in available space has
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reportedly been good despite a soft economy and very weak manufacturing sector, the rental rates
and terms of the second building have made it more difficult to attract businesses that are still
unable to pay market rents, and the incubator tenants have been unable to move out despite
exceeding growth expectations.
The experience of the second building at the further underscores the reality that market demand is
still soft at the higher rents, and that the greatest need in Immokalee is a supply of commercial
space that can meet that middle market - rents below market rents but above the incubator rents. If
the second building continues to see little demand at the current rents, it would be advisable to
lower rents into this middle ground in order to attract greater demand and/or allow incubator firms
to move out of the incubator so that new start-ups can move in. Moving forward, we recommend
that the Airport Authority or Collier County continue to pursue the development of commercial
space at this (or another equally marketable) location, as it is a critical need; yet, rents should be set
in order to hit that part of the market that requires the slightly subsidized rents.
We conducted a "back-of-the-envelope" the return on investment analysis over a ten-year period of
a 15,000 square foot building charging $6.00 per square foot rents. We also factored in lower
occupancies during the first two years due to lease-up vacancies and loose rent terms. We found
that the building would essentially be a break-even proposition, which would be a real loss for a
private developer given the cost of capital, but is acceptable for a public entity given the fiscal
benefits associated with the job creation. The return could be particularly healthy for the public
sector if the land was free for the public sector, or if some or all of the funds used to construct the
building were state or federal grants. Hendry County, for example, has constructed below-market
rent commercial buildings through the use of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds.
Public Private Partnerships
The one drawback of public sector development is that the full cost of development needs to be
carried by the local government (unless, as mentioned, state or federal funds are used). The highest
and best use of resources can be attained through public private partnerships, where the public
sector is an active equity partner in a real estate development project. Public capital has greater
"patience" and therefore can demand less return in the early years of a development (while still
expecting an overall healthy return). This allows a private developer to offer rents that more
effectively meet market demand, while also meeting the short-term return and interest requirements
of private capital. As the real estate investment matures, and appreciates in value, the public
capital is paid back at a quicker pace.
While the ~patient equity" concept is relatively new and innovative tool, the use of public capital as
a tool for leveraging private investment has been utilized in several revitalization efforts across the
country -- mostly in urban underserved areas, such as downtown Albuquerque, New Mexico.
While Immokalee is certainly not an urban environment, it suffers from a similar lack of investment,
due in great part to private capital's inability to take risks in emerging locations and wait for a real
estate project to gain in value over time. Thus, this innovative program is appropriate for the
Immokalee situation.
We have completed a mock financial analysis of a 50,000 square foot commercial building (which
we have provided in Appendix 7) in order to test the viability of the patient capital concept in
Immokalee. For the purpose of this analysis, we have assumed that the public sector would match
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the private investment, up to 10% of the total costs of the project, and that the public would not see
returns on the initial investment until the sixth year of the project. We have also assumed that rents
for the first five years of the development are set at below market, with rent increases allowed after
the five-year term.
The patient equity strategy allows for a win-win situation: private developer reduces upfront costs
and risk, and still is able to achieve an acceptable rate of return, while the public sector is able to
incentivize development that is of critical need while achieving a significant return on public
investment.
Immokalee Regional Airport
The development and expansion of the Immokalee Regional Airport is a tong-term public good.
The critical economic generator in Immokalee, as it creates a much-needed focal point for
economic activity and offers an important transportation alternative. The controversy around the
effectiveness of the airport as an employment generator may place the future of the airport in
jeopardy. We believe that increased investment - not disinvestments - in the airport is important
if Immokalee is to compete regionally for firms who desire a location at or near an airport.
Currently, the Immokalee Regional Airport runs at a deficit (although a profit was achieved in
2001). There are approximately $1.4 million worth of capital improvements planned for the
airport, including the development of additional hangars and a customs facility, internal road
construction and runway expansion. Although continued investment in the airport is currently
being reconsidered at the County level, we have found that the projected capital investments and
operating costs (we have assumed operating cost deficits of between $25,000 and $35,000 for the
next seven years, followed by several years of breaking even) can be covered assuming only
modest employment growth - 300 jobs over the period of 25 years. This analysis is provided in
Appendix 6.
Housing Incentives
A vibrant housing market is key to retaining and attracting businesses, as well as capturing a fair
share of dollars generated by the local economy by encouraging those that work in the Immokalee
area to live and spend in the Immokalee area. The primary objective of these incentives should be
to create an environment where housing can be produced at all price points, assuming that market
demand is present, through the reduction of significant cost barriers.
Impact Fee Waivers
Impact fees for a single-family detached house in Immokalee range from approximately $7,000 to
$9,000, depending on home size. This is significantly less than in other parts of Collier County,
since the Immokalee water and sewer district does not currently charge fees (in the remainder of
Collier County, water and sewer fees add an additional $5,500 per single family detached house).
Still, assuming entry-level housing production, these impact fees account for nearly 5% of total
price in Immokalee. Impact fees for single-family detached homes in neighboring Lee County
range from approximately $6,000 to $6,500 for homes of all sizes. In Lehigh Acres, the most
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directly relevant housing market to Immokalee in Lee County, the impact fees for a single-family
detached home is approximately $6,300.
While impact fees result in an increase in Immokalee housing prices (all other factors held equal) of
only 1.5% to 2% relative to a Lehigh Acres, this increase can be very significant when marketing to
entry-level, price sensitive buyers. This is especially the case when considering the market
challenges that Immokalee must over due to existing negative perceptions in the marketplace -
most entry-level buyers would likely expect a discount for purchasing in the Immokalee area,
relative to places like Lehigh Acres, at least in the short term. This is one key reason why
Immokalee has seen so little housing production in the past, and why, in turn, it has been so
difficult to capture housing demand from workers in Immokalee such as teachers, small
businesspersons, police, etc.
The preferred option for addressing the negative affects of impact fee is a waiver or significant
readjustment, based upon an analysis of the real impacts of new housing development, and
capacity of the existing systems/facilities, in the Immokalee area. As discussed above in the section
on impact fee deferrals for commercial development, such an option can often run into legal and
political hurdles. An alternative is a program through which impact fees are deferred and/or funded
through an impact fee fund.
Impact Fee Deferral/Housing Fund
The Collier Cgunty Housing and Finance Agency currently administers the State Housing Initiative
Partnership (SHIP) funds. A portion of the SHIP funds is now used to defer impact fees for Iow and
very Iow-income households. Under this program, the impact fee is paid for upfront by the fund,
and is paid back - principal only, no interest or adjustments -- to the fund at the time of the home
sale. In essence, the impact fee acts a tax lien on the house. SHIP funds also are used for
downpayment/closing costs assistance (up to $5,000) and rehabilitation assistance for Iow-income
households (up to $15,000).
The SHIP-funded programs are limited in their scope, and may not be a sustainable funding source.
With regards to the latter, SHIP funding for this coming year has been cut by nearly one-third from
the previous year - over $3 million last year versus $2 million this coming year. There has been
speculation at the state level that SHIP funding may be cut altogether.
Further, there can be a strong case made that the SHIP programs should be expanded, especially
with regards to the impact fee issue. The program now is intended to serve only Iow-income
households, and in particular those first entering the housing market. There is a maximum home
value cap of $130,000, and in order to qualify for the downpayment assistance and impact fee
deferral the applicant must be a first-time homebuyer (defined as having not owned in the past
three years). Yet, the concerns about the affect of impact fees on housing affordability,
competitiveness relative to other nearby areas, and the ability to produce quality housing at
moderate-income price points exist beyond the $130,000 limit, and affect a wider audience than
only first-time homebuyers.
Therefore, in order to reduce the costs associated with impact fees at a wider variety of price points,
and continue to serve the needs of affordable homeowners and developers as SHIP funds become
more limited (or completely unavailable), we recommend a housing fund should be established
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within the Immokalee Enterprise Zone. We recommend that the Immokalee Housing Fund
continue to serve Iow-income eligible households with regards to the rehabilitation and
downpayment assistance. However, we believe that the impact fee deferral program should be
expanded to include housing units under $175,000, which equates roughly to an annual income of
$40,000. The upper limit of $175,000 means that in the short term the impact fee deferral program
will cover most - If not all - of the housing development activity in Immokalee in the short term.
In order to be a sustainable solution, the Immokalee housing fund must have a mechanism for
being replenished. Much like with the SHIP program, we recommend that impact fee assistance, as
well as downpayment and rehabilitation assistance, be deferred with no interest. The key question
is how the deferred "loan" should be paid back. There are essentially two options: 1) the loan is
paid back through equity upon sale of the house; or, 2) the loan is paid back through incremental
property tax revenues. A set of analyses in Appendices 8 through 12 tested the viability of these
two funding options, and Appendix 13 provides an analysis of the net fiscal impact of the assumed
housing activity. We have found:
At a variety of price points and assuming an annual home appreciation of 3.5%, we project
that impact fees can be paid back through the increase in home value in 3 to 4 years
(Appendix 8).
· A downpayment assistance loan can also be paid back through the sale of a home in 3 to 4
years (Appendix 9). If the downpayment and impact fee assistance programs are both
utilized by a Iow-income family, between 4 and 5 years would be required to cover the
costs of the combined loan.
· Property taxes, in contrast, require much longer periods in order to pay back the impact fee
and downpayment assistance. For more market-rate housing, impact fees will generally be
paid back in 10 to 11 years (Appendix 8).
· More affordable units require between 8 and 13 years to pay back the downpayment
assistance loan with property tax revenues (Appendix 9). If an impact fee loan is taken out
as well, the total loan would not be paid back through property tax revenues until between
18 and 23 years. Thee more affordable the house, obviously, the lower the tax revenues
generated to support the loans.
· In Appendices 10 through 12, we tested the capital requirements and sustainability of a
housing fund, assuming loans were paid back through revenues from a home sale, property
tax revenues, or a combination of both. We assumed three funding scenarios: 1) SHIP
phases out over a period of five years; 2) SHIP funding increases 5% per year from the
current base; and, 3) SHIP funding increases 10% per year from the current base. These
analyses did not take into account the fiscal benefit of the actual residential development -
this will be discussed further below.
· In this analysis we have assumed that 4,375 homes under $175,000 (2,500 of which would
be under $130,000) as well as 1,205 housing unit renovations, would be generated over a
25-year period. This is a significant amount of new housing activity by historical standards
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in Immokalee - from 1980 to 2000, roughly 2,400 new units were delivered7. However, as
part of the broader goal of generating a vibrant housing market, this represents only a
modest level of activity (in recent years Collier County as a whole has achieved over 4,000
units per year).
· We have calculated that the net fiscal impact of the assumed housing activity to be $4.9
million (Appendix 13).
· It is clear that property tax revenues are not generated in enough quantity, especially for the
more affordable homes, to support housing activity of this volume. Even when assuming
that SHIP funds will increase by 10% annually, the net fiscal benefit under this scenario
equals negative $52.6 million (Appendix 11). Thus, property taxes are not a viable method
for replenishing the housing fund.
· We also tested a mixed approach, in which the impact fee loan is paid through revenues
generated from the home sales but the downpayment assistance is paid through property tax
revenues. This option is attractive from a policy standpoint, as it limits the burden on Iow-
income families and allows the families to generate more equity in their house more
quickly. It also allows for more flexibility in housing choices for lower-income families.
· Under this mixed method, if you assume SHIP funding will increase by 10% annually, this
approach has a negative net cash flow of over $800,000, but a positive fiscal impact
overall. Yet, if a 5% growth rate is assumed, the net cash flow is negative $13.3 million,
which is negative fiscally (Appendix 12). Although this method could be fiscally positive,
and does serve a public policy function (of reducing the tax lien burden on Iow-income
families), relying on the higher SHIP fund growth rate is risky.
· Based upon the analysis, it is clear that the most fiscally prudent method of replenishing the
housing fund is to collect on the loan at the time of the home sale. The fund shows a
positive cash flow (in net present value) of $11.2 million if it is assumed that SHIP funding
continues and increases by 10% per year. If we assumed SHIP will increase by only 5%
per year, the cash flow (in net present value) is a negative $1.3 million.
· Thus, both of these alternative are overall fiscally positive, once the $4.9 million fiscal
benefit is added to the cash flow from the fund.
· If SHIP funding is phased out, there is a negative cash flow (in net present value) of
approximately $14.9 million -with the assumed the level of housing activity. Thus, if SHIP
funds are phased out even the most prudent approach will be fiscally negative (Appendix
~0).
The time delay between impact fee payouts and the reimbursement after a home sale (on average
households will move once between every 8 or 10 years), and the fact that the impact
reimbursements are not appreciated over time so the payment of income fees from five years before
will likely not cover present day fees to due to increases in fees and home prices, results in capital
funding requirements in the early years of development - even if the fund is fiscally positive over a
7 Based upon 2000 U.S. Census data on the year a housing structure was built. There may have been units delivered
from 1980 to 2000 that are no longer in existence, and therefore are not included in this estimate; however, this is
likely a small percentage, and not significant for this purpose.
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25-year period, and eventually self-sustaining. Assuming the loans are repaid through home sales,
and that SHIP funds increase by 10% annually, the County must still provide approximately $24.6
million to the housing fund over the first 9 years of operation.
There are several potential sources of funding: 1) dedicated funds from the tax increment financing
(TIF) program; 2) annual gap funding from the general budget; 3) a locally-dedicated transfer tax or
real estate assessment that generates a steady flow of revenue each year; or 4) funding from an
affordable housing fund, paid into by developers in lieu of an inclusionary zoning requirement.
· There is an existing TIF district in Immokalee administered by the CRA, although the overall
incremental value projected for the district is relatively small, and could not be used as a
sole source of capital for a housing fund.
· General funds are certainly a viable funding source option, although perhaps not as stable
as other sources due to the year-to-year politicizing of the budget process.
· A transfer tax on new housing development in the County would represent a more
dedicated source of funding. We propose that a 1% transfer tax on homes valued at over
$200,000 is established. Based upon historical trends, we estimate that 60% of
approximately 4,000 sales per year would meet this requirement. If the average price of
homes over $200,000 is estimated at $325,000, and we assume the Immokalee housing
fund would receive 50% of the revenues from this source, $3.8 million annually would be
genera.ted in support of the housing fund. The transfer tax would only have to be
temporary, as over time the fund would be self-sustaining.
· Inclusionary zoning is a increasingly popular tool for dispersing affordable housing units by
requiring that market rate communities provide a certain percentage of affordable units as
part of the development. Typically, inclusionary zoning requires that between 10% and
20% of new housing units are made available to Iow or moderate-income households.
Often, in lieu of building the units, builders are allowed to pay into an affordable housing
fund, which can then be used to assist in the development of affordable housing in other
parts of the County. This is a potentially significant source of revenues; however, it is not
an ideal source of funding for the housing fund given that payment into the fund is
discretionary
Infrastructure Investment
The Immokalee area needs to be proactive in order to create the environment for larger-scale
residential development. These projects often require significant upfront infrastructure, such as
roads, water and sewer, but also community infrastructure such as golf courses, parks, community
centers, etc. In Florida, many developers create Community Development Districts (CDDs) in
order to mitigate upfront costs. CDDs are tax-free bonds than can be issued by private developers
in order to cover these upfront costs. The costs of the infrastructure development are rolled into the
property taxes, so the costs of the upfront investments are born by the future residents over time.
In locations like Immokalee, where market-rate housing barely - if at all - covers the cost of
construction and buyers have very little ability to cover the upfront costs through increased
property taxes, either upfront infrastructure is limited or other sources of revenues must be
identified to cover the cost of infrastructure. In case such as this, public sector support is often
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required. The level of support is dependent upon the expected fiscal impact of the proposed
development.
As shown in Figure 20 below (with detailed models in Appendix 14), even affordable housing
developments generate significant positive net fiscal impact.
Figure 20: Returns and Bonding Capacity for New Residential Development
Assumptions
Number of Homes 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000
Absorption 100 75 60 50
Average Price $100,000 $125,000 $150,000 $200,000
% of Net New HHs 25.0% 33.0% 40.0% 66.0%
% Net New Value 30.0% 31.3% 33.3% 35.0%
Total
Net Present Value @ 6% $1,671,432 $2,585,471 $3,322,179 $5,307,964
TIF Revenues - 20 Years $2,229,633 $2,814,147 $3,342,507 $4,245,027
Net Present Value @ 6% $905,852 $1,143,841 $1,351,101 $1,740,622
TIF Revenues - 10 Years $695,991 $715,780 $755,709 $919,811
Net Present Value @ 6% $346,755 $360,851 $387,935 $497,585
The tool for providing the upfront capital should be based upon expected property tax revenues. A
site-specific TIF district can be used, where the existing value of the raw land is frozen, and the
incremental revenues are used to pay back the initial public investment. The public support can be
set up as a Iow interest loan or general revenue bond. As is shown above, if a 20-year loan or bond
term is assumed, $900,000 to over $1.7 million of upfront capital support can be provided to a
project, depending on the expected average price over the life of the project. Initially, the fund
would need to be capitalize with general revenue funds.
The County should be proactive about targeting and identifying such opportunities in Immokalee,
as these large developments are critical to jumpstarting a dormant housing market, changing the
perception of Immokalee as a poor residential location, and perhaps providing significant amenities
- such as a golf course, parks or walking trails - to the broader community. In the short term, large
communities providing affordable and workforce housing should be considered for support. Future
opportunities may include a large active adult retiree housing community or development around
the planned Ave Maria University..
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SUMMARY AN D RECOMMENDATIONS
Based upon our analysis, we have found that the fiscal benefits of job creation, even assuming the
absolute minimum requirements regarding average wage and job creation, can support a wide
range of development incentives and still deliver a net fiscal gain.
The incentives discussed in this report are designed to aggressively remove obstacles and create
opportunities in the Immokalee area. This is not to say that Immokalee will compete directly with
the coastal communities for new job growth. The incentives are designed to stimulate local
investment,'much of which has likely been pent up in recent years, and allow Immokalee to more
effectively compete with similar rural counties for regional-serving job growth. Countywide, there
is a strong push to diversify the economy, away from a dual dependence on residential
development and retail in the west and traditional agriculture in the east. Immokalee needs to be a
large part of this effort.
An incentives program must be viewed as a toolbox, with a flexible, set of tools to utilize. This is
not to say that incentives should not have boundaries and qualifications; strong criteria for
determining eligibility are critical for ensuring that incentives will result in strong net fiscal benefits.
However, diverse set of tools should be available, so that economic development officials can
effectively address weaknesses or holes in the private market.
Based upon the findings and conclusions contained in the preceding pages, we have arrived at
several recommendations of how, through the use of incentives, Immokalee can begin to move
towards the goal of creating a more vibrant, economically viable community:
1. Study the extent to which impact fees in Immokalee reflect current needs and capacity, and
waive or readjust those fees that are not truly needed to fund future infrastructure and
capital improvements.
2. Move ahead with the Economic Diversification Program, with adjustment to customize for
incentivizing growth in the Immokalee area. These changes include: 1) an extension of fast
track approvals and impact fee revolving fund assistance (if fees cannot be waived or
significantly readjusted, as is preferred) to speculative developers of commercial and retail
space in the Immokalee Enterprise Zone; 2) an expansion of the funds available through the
impact fee revolving loan program, with a maximum funding up to 15 years worth of tax
abatement (in present dollars) so that impact fees are mitigated more substantially in the
Immokalee Enterprise Zone; 3) an increase of $1,000 per job in the workforce development
grant for firms in the Immokalee Enterprise Zone.
3. Create a dedicated economic development organization, independent of the Collier County
Economic Development Council (EDC) committed to selling Immokalee as a high-quality
business location. Immokalee needs one voice - to provide a true reflection of
Immokalee's strengths in a way that Naples-based organization cannot, to act as a single
point of contact for interested firms, to drive workforce development strategy, and to
organize the active and strong local community groups.
4. Create a regulatory process that is unique to Immokalee, reflects the opportunities and
constraints in this environment, and does not burden Immokalee residents and businesses
with regulations that do not reflect the character of Immokalee and impose significant costs.
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We recommend a special overly district that controls land use and ordinances for
Immokalee is created.
5. Invest actively in the public realm, in order to begin to change the negative perceptions
about Immokalee that are often more associated with physical blight - especially along the
key gateways in the Immokalee - than the realities of the quality of life that Immokalee can
offer. Investment in the public realm includes a greater focus on code enforcement, as well
as the generation of funds for the repair of the built environment, including rehabilitation
grants and loans for commercial and residential buildings along key corridors,
condemnation and rehabilitation of physical eyesores, streetscape improvements,
investment in public parks, etc.
6. Leverage public funds with private capital through the use of effective public-private
partnerships in order to develop of much-needed commercial space and housing in the
area. We recommend establishing a pilot program that can provide ~patient equity" for
planned developments deemed as critically important to the future economic growth of the
Immokalee area - in particular speculative commercial development that can initially be
rented at rents slightly below the market.
7. Continue with plans to operate and expand the Immokalee Regional Airport and the
neighboring industrial park and business incubator. The airport is a critical economic focal
point in Immokalee, and must be maintained in order to remain competitive in the region.
8. Create an Immokalee housing fund in order to expand - and if needed, replace - the
housing programs currently administered with SHIP funds. At the forefront should be an
impact fee deferral program that provides no interest loans that are eventually paid back
upon sale of the home. This program should bee expanded to include all homes under
$175,0000. The housing fund should also continue to rehabilitation and
downpayment/closing costs assistance programs currently administered by SHIP for Iow-
income families.
9. Establish a fund to provide upfront infrastructure for targeted residential developments, in
particular larger developments that will provide a positive net fiscal impact and markedly
improve the quality of housing stock, perception of the Immokalee housing market and the
quality of the public realm.
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CRITICAL ASSUMPTIONS
The conclusions and recommendations presented in this report were reached based on our analysis
of the information available to us from our own sources and from the client at the time of our work.
Most of our research and analysis were conducted between December 2002 and February 2003.
We assume that the information is correct, complete and reliable. Also, any updates of the research
and analysis undertaken at that time will not be incorporated herein.
Our conclusions and recommendations are based on certain assumptions about the future
performance of the global, national, and/or local economy, as well as that of the real estate market
and on other factors similarly outside either our control or that of the client. To the best of our
ability we analyzed trends and information available to us in drawing these conclusions and
making the appropriate recommendations. However, due to the very fluid and dynamic nature of
the economy and the real estate markets, it is critical to continually monitor the economy and the
market, and to revisit the aforementioned conclusions and recommendations periodically to ensure
that they stand the test of time
We assume that in the future the economy and the real estate markets will grow at the stable and
moderate rates summarized in the narrative portion of the report and presented in the exhibits. We
did not undertake any economic forecasting, nor did we attempt to provide a forecast of the real
estate markets. History tells us that this stable and moderate rate growth pattern is not likely to
occur over extended periods of time. The economy is quite cyclical, and the real estate markets are
typically very sensitive to these cycles. Our analysis does not take into account the potential
negative impact that major economic "shocks" could have on the national and/or the local
economy, and the residual impact on the real estate market and the competitive environment. We
are currently in the midst of a period of uncertainly, with a soft economy and storm clouds over the
horizon due to conflicts brewing in the Middle East and elsewhere. The direction, depth and
duration of the current economic slowdown are unknown, and the implication of changing
directions in the near future may have very significant impact on the recommendations made
herein.
Similarly, we assume that economic, employment and household growth will occur more or less in
accordance with current expectations, as will other forecasts of trends and demographic and
economic patterns. Along these lines, we are not taking into account any major shifts in the level
of consumer confidence; in the cost of development and construction; in tax laws (i.e., stable
property and income tax rates, deductibility of mortgage interest, etc.); or, in the availability and/or
cost of capital and mortgage financing for real estate developers, owners, and buyers.
We also assume that competitive projects will be developed as planned (active and future), and that
real estate demand will be met with a reasonable stream of supply offerings. Finally, we assume
that major public works projects occur and are completed as planned.
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GENERAL LIMITING CONDITIONS
Every reasonable effort has been made to insure that the data contained in this study reflect
accurate and timely information, and it is believed to be reliable. This study is based on estimates,
assumptions and other information developed by RCLCo from its independent research effort,
general knowledge of the industry and consultations with the Client and its representatives. No
responsibility is assumed for inaccuracies in reporting by the Client, its agent and representatives or
any other data source used in preparing or presenting this study. This report is based on
information that was current as of February 2003, and RCLCo has not undertaken any update of its
research effort since such date.
Our report contains prospective financial information, estimates or opinions that represent our view
of reasonable expectations at a particular point in time, but such information, estimates or opinions
are not offered as predictions or as assurances that a particular level of income or profit will be
achieved, that events will occur or that a particular price will be offered or accepted. Actual results
achieved during the period covered by our prospective analysis may vary from those described in
our report and the variations may be material. Therefore, no warranty or representation is made by
RCLCo that any of the projected values or results contained in this study will actually be achieved.
Possession of this study does not carry with it the right of publication thereof or to use the name of
"Robert Charles Lesser & Co., LLC' or "RCLCo' in any manner without first obtaining the prior
written consent of RCLCo. No abstracting, excerpting or summarization of this study may be made
without first obtaining the prior written consent of RCLCo. This report is not to be used in
conjunction with any public or private offering of securities or other similar purpose where it may
be relied upon to any degree by any person other than the Client without first obtaining the prior
written consent of RCLCo. This study may not be used for any purpose other than that for which it
is prepared or for which prior written consent has first been obtained from RCLCo.
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APPPENDIX
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