FORECAST FROM ABC, 7. >> WHAT'S GOOD, JIM LOOKS WARM AS LATER THIS WEEK ARISING COUNCIL HORIZON FOUNDATION, LEE COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OFFICE ALL HOSTING. >> ANNUAL MEETING TO TALK ABOUT THE STATE OF THE ECONOMY RIGHT HERE IN A SLICE OF PARADISE. AN EVENT SOLD OUT. BUT WE HAVE AN EXCLUVE INTERVIEW THIS MORNING WITH DOCTOR GAVE A KNIFE ON THE HORIZON FOUNDATION AND HELEN EDENFIELD HORIZON COUNCIL FOR A SNEAK PEEK AT WHAT SOME OF WHAT WE DISCUSSED AND PRESENTED AND SO ON. AND THANK YOU BOTH FOR CONG IN THIS MORNING. IT'S GREAT TO BE WITH YOU. WE ARE NEW YEAR CONCLUDING 2024 HOUSE 2025. LOOK SPECIFICALLY DOCTOR. WE ARE VERY EXCITED ABOUT 2025 AND THEN MOMENTUM THAT WE HAVE. >> MY GOODNESS, ANYTHING FROM OUR OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OFFICE IS WORKING ON GETTING A ARTS AND DESIGN SATELLITE CAMPUS OF A TOSCHOOL INTO OUR AREA. AND THAT WOULD BE A NICE GAME CHANGER IN TERMS OF ARTS AND EDUCATION IN OUR AREA. WHAT ELSE, TAMPA GENERAL HOSPITAL IS OPENING A LOCATION IN BABCOCK RANCH AND THAT'LL MEAN MORE MEDICAL SERVICES, OF COURSE, AS WELL AS EMPLOYMENT. AND ANOTHER FUN FACT IS THAT THE CITY OF FORT MYERS IS RKING ON A UNITED SOCCER LEAGUE PROFESSIONAL TEAM COMING INTO THE. >> THAT THE AREA AS WELL BE A BOOST TO THE ECONOMY. YES, WE SEE SOME SIMILAR ACTION TAKE PLACE DOWN IN NAPLES AS WELL. AND THE BOOK YOU'RE ONLY YES, SOME OF THAT REAL QUICK SURELY THIS IS OUR ANNUAL REVIEW OF 2024, SOME INCREDIBLE DATA THAT'S TAKEN PLACE OVER THE YEAR AND A VERY GOOD GLIMPSE AS TO WHAT WE CAN EXPECT IN 2025. SO WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT AS WELL. THAT'S GREAT HELENA AREAS OF LEE COUNTY. WE ANTICIPATE ACTUALLY SEE GROWTH BECAUSE THIS AREA GROWS AND GROWS AND GROWS EVERY DAY. IT DOES. SO CURRENT POPULATION IS 850,000. >> WHICH WHEN I SAW THE NUMBER OF WELL, I DIDN'T REALIZE IT. WELL, SOMETIMES ON THE ROADS, YOU REALIZE RATE BUT WE EXPECT TO BE OVER A MILLION BY 2027 OF THE SEASON WHERE WE KNOW THAT IT A BLINK OF THE EYE RIGHT? SO ADDITIONAL GOING TO CHEAT A LITTLE BIT BECAUS WE'RE WE'RE DOING SOME NUMBERS HERE. WE ALSO HAVE A LOT OF GROWTH IN CAPE CORAL. SO CAPE CORAL RANKED AMONG THE TOP 20 FOR SMALL BUSINESSES. THEY ALSO ARE VERY, VERY MOVING FORWARD AND THE HOME SO GROWTH AND HOMES. WE HAVE POP ELATION OF 150,000 AND LEHIGH. AND WE ALSO ARE LOOKING AT 86,000 CURRENT. HOMES IN THE PIPELINE FOR GROWTH OVER LEE COUNTY. IT'S AMAZING. SO IT'S JUST TREMENDOUS. AND IN NORTH FORT MYERS, WE'RE EXPECTING A NEW EXCHANGE OFF AT I-75. YES, WHICH WOD BE A GAME-CHANGER GAME CHANGER. THE COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO HURRICANE EVUATION ROUTES. YES, ALL THIS KIND OF STUFF TO SEE A BIG DEVELOPMENT PROSPECTS LIKE RETAILER, ANYTHING LIKE THAT AS WELL AS WE LOOK IN THE FUTURE. SO THERE ARE THINGS IN THE PIPELINE THAT TALK ABOUT YET I'M JUST ASKING QUESTION THAT I MY HEAD. I MAY HAVE TAPPED INTO I WILL BE MOM. I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING. >> BUT HEALTH CARE PLAYS A HUGE PART OF POPULATION GROWS THAT CREATES MORE OF A NEED FOR HEALTH CARE AS WELL I CAN SPEAK FROM FIRSTHAND EXPERIENCE. MY WIFE WORKS IN THE HEALTH CARE INDUSTRY. WHAT OTHER HEALTHCARE OFFERING SHOULD WE BE EXPECTING AS WE GO FORWARD? YEAH. LEE HEALTH IS BUILDING A NEW HOSPITAL OFF THE CHALLENGER. SO THAT'S ALREADY BROKEN GROUND AND AND PROGRESS. WE HAVE A COLLABORATION BETWEEN LEE HEALTH AND FSU TO PUT A CARDIOLOGY CENTER AT VICTORY PARK AND CAPE CORAL. WE HAVE A SOUTHWEST ORIDA PROTON, WHICH IS BUILDING A CAMPUS AND ESTERO AND THAT WILL BE OPEN IN THE FALL. AND THAT IS A GAME CHANGER BECAUSE IT'S THE ONLY FACILITY OF ITS TYPE ON THIS COAST AND WILL REALLY BECOME A MEDICAL DESTINATION HERE, TOO, GENERATE MEDICAL TOURISM. IT'S AMAZING. IT'S AMAZING HOW FAST EVERYTHING IS GROWING. WE ALSO HAVE ARTHREX THAT JU SIGNED A MILLION SQUARE FOOT DEAL AT RSW SKY PLOTS AS WELL FOR A DISTRIBUTION FACILITY ACTUALLY READING ABOUT THAT THIS MORNING. SO THAT'S SO AMAZING. REALLY HUGE AND AL QUICK. I JUST GOT ABOUT 30 SECONDS LEFT. WHEN YOU SEE THE GREATEST NEED RIGHT NOW, THE GREATEST NEED THEM. >> IT'S NOT ONLY ABOUT BRINGING IN BUSINESSES, BUT IT IS ABSOLUTELY THE WORK FORCE, MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE THE RIGHT WORKFORCE TO SUPPORT OUR BUSINESSES AND FGCU FSW HAVE STARTED CREDENTIALING PROGRAMS. MICRO CREDENTIAL PROGRAMS HELPING TO SCALE UP THE WORKFORCE IN SHORTER KINDS OF TRAINING SEGMENTS. AND THAT'S HELPING A LOT AS WELL. IT'S AWESOME THAT PEOPLE WANT MORE INFORMATION ON HORIZON COUNCIL AS WELL AS WHERE THEY MIGHT BE ABLE TO GET A COPY OF. >> BUT YOUR INTERVIEW, WHERE CAN THEY GO? IT'S A SOCIAL MEDIA OR PHONE NUMBER OFFICE OR ANYTHING SO THEY CAN ACTUALLY GO TO HORIZON COUNCIL FOUNDATION DOT COM. WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL STUFF. THANKS, GUYS, SO MUCH FOR COMING IN THIS MORNING. THANK YO