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Building Big??? I
think so! Wonder what the remaining
issues and nagging questions are. I would bet it is not
which green materials to build with.
The staff of the region's planning council has
recommended that plans to build the largest shopping center in Southwest Florida
be approved, subject to several relatively minor conditions.
Those close
to the Coconut Point Mall project say the remaining issues have largely been
ironed out, leaving only a few nagging questions to be resolved before
government agencies begin moving toward approval and permitting.
If
built, the Coconut Point Mall would be the largest commercial development in Lee
or Collier counties. With nearly 500 acres along U.S. 41, the mall could have up
to 1.2 million square feet of retail space with another 600,000 square feet of
retail adjacent to the mall.
Development plans also call for 200,000
square feet of office space, 100,000 square feet of medical office space, 600
hotel rooms, 1,000 multifamily units and a 200-unit assisted living facility.
The property would also include 32.7 acres of conservation areas, 47.1 acres of
lakes, 50.2 acres of road rights-of-way and 11.6 acres of green area and open
space.
By comparison, the nearby Miromar Factory Outlets mall has
370,000 square feet of retail space - roughly one-fifth of the Coconut Point
Mall without taking non-retail uses into account.
The mall could open as
early as 2004, with construction scheduled to complete by
2006.
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