Major retailers planned for eastern Lee County project

LEE COUNTY, Fla. (WINK) New renderings are giving neighbors their first look at what businesses could soon be coming to a major retail development along State Road 82 and Blackstone Drive in eastern Lee County.

Casto Net Lease Properties LLC has identified several national brands planned for the Blackstone development, including Walmart, Walmart Gas, McDonald’s, Panda Express, Wendy’s, Taco Bell, Seven Brew Coffee, AutoZone, Mister Car Wash, Suncoast Credit Union and Heartland Dental. Site plans also show additional retail space still available, meaning more businesses could be announced in the future.

The project sits along a rapidly growing stretch of SR-82 where thousands of homes have been built in recent years and thousands more are planned.

Maps included with the development highlight nearby residential growth, including hundreds of

“The Walmart and everything is a good idea,” said Glenn Moore, who has lived in the area since his neighborhood was first developed. “The pros for it is it’ll bring employment here, bring property value up here, and also it’s convenient instead of driving like Six Mile Cypress or Lee Boulevard to go to a Walmart.”

Residents told WINK News that many daily errands currently require a drive into Fort Myers, Lee Boulevard or other commercial areas.

Tom Jones, a homeowner in the area, said the new businesses could save residents both time and gas.

“If we have something right there, I mean, you could zap over on a bike and in and out, which is going to be a huge convenience for us,” Jones said. “So I think the pros will outweigh the cons.”

The development is one of several commercial projects planned across Lee County as population growth continues to push east. County records show projects such as Gateway Marketplace near Daniels Parkway and Treeline Avenue and Sunniland Town Center near Lee Boulevard and Sunniland Boulevard are also in development.

While many residents welcome the convenience, some also worry about additional traffic along the already busy SR-82 corridor.

Site plans for Blackstone show a proposed traffic signal at the intersection. FDOT told WINK News that before a traffic light could be installed, the developer would need to complete a traffic engineering study examining factors such as vehicle volumes, pedestrian activity and crash history. The proposal would then undergo a formal FDOT review process.

“The disadvantage or the cons to it is more traffic,” Moore said. “But the situation to that is we need traffic lights.”

WINK News reached out to Casto Net Lease Properties to learn about the potential timeline for construction.