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WHY NORTH
PORT?
The
North Port Florida Advantage
The City
of North Port is located on Florida’s Gulf Coast midway between Tampa
and Naples
Through a combination of good planning and fortuitous circumstances;
North Port has found itself in a very favorable position to develop its
economy for the benefit of growing companies. Only ten per cent of the
City’s land base is currently occupied although the city has doubled in
population in the past ten years. A number of new industrial and
commercial parks, including a GTE Smart Park, have been constructed over
the past five years offering costs that are competitive with any in the
region. (a region which itself is known for low costs).
Become one of the many new companies realizing the benefits of
relocating to North Port, Florida!
Why
North Port?
As a
result of a number of forward thinking decisions made over the past five
years, North Port has established itself as an efficient cost-effective
business location. Among North Port’s advantages:
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Two exits on
I-75 with business and industrial parks located with ˝ mile of the
Interstate
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A growing
population, currently increasing by 10% per year
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The youngest
workforce in southwest Florida, a median age of 40 years
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Convenient
access to three major commercial airports (Sarasota-Bradenton, Ft.
Myers and Tampa) as well as a general aviation airport located within
5 miles of city limits
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The
University of South Florida and Manatee Community College, a pioneer
in the area of workforce development are located on the city’s west
boundary .The new $ 55 million North Port High School was completed in
2001 (the first high school completed in Sarasota County in the past
45 years). The North Port Middle School was completed in the fall of
2003. The Sarasota County School Board has plans to construct a new
school in North Port approximately every two years until at least
2015.
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Housing
prices considerably lower than most in the region, ensuring a growing
population and workforce
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Impact fees
and taxes lower than most areas in the region
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The Florida
advantage of low taxes and low costs
Infrastructure
The City of North Port is a new city,
incorporated in 1959. The City updated its Comprehensive Plan in 1997
and established a goal to diversify the City’s tax base with
nonresidential land uses. We are now close to achieving a healthy
balance between commercial, residential and industrial land. North Port
encompasses an enormous landmass, of which only 10% is currently
occupied. With proposed annexations, North Port will be the third
largest city by area in Florida.
North Port’s
land use plan is based on a number of commercial and industrial activity
centers spread throughout the city:
• The first activity center is located
along the US-41 corridor, which is the original commercial area for the
City. This area continues to develop with national chains built in the
Mediterranean style. The area contains approximately two hundred and
fifty acres of vacant land awaiting development.
• The activity center at the
intersection of Sumter and Price Boulevards is planned to be the new
center of the City with government buildings (new City Hall, post office
planned), medical center, professional offices, and retail. The
activity center contains a new Publix Shopping Center, City Activity
Building, and a Fire Administration building.
• The North Port High School and North
Port Middle School, the Heron Creek Country Club, and a planned City
Hall and Police Stations are adjacent to this activity center. These
uses and the activity center uses take advantage of easy access to I-75
to the north, US-41 to the south and Price Blvd. that bisects the City
providing east/west access.
• The activity center at the
Interchange of I-75 and Sumter Blvd. provides approximately 200 acres
for highway oriented, high tech companies, as well as the typical
interchange type of development.
• The activity center located at I-75
and Toledo Blade Blvd. contains approximately 1,400 acres. This large
area is available for distribution, interchange businesses, high tech
manufacturing, etc.
• The intersection of Toledo Blade Blvd
and Price Blvd is the last activity center. This area is available for
high-tech manufacturing, retail, office, and multifamily developments.
The area continues to grow with the recent opening of King Plastics ,
submittal of plans for two shopping centers, and a major proposed
medical campus.
The City recently completed a 9,000-acre
annexation in the north-east quadrant of North Port and has completed a
further 5000 acre site on the City's western edge. This new land area
will be planned for a mixture of residential, commercial, employment and
commercial.
Education
A good part of the explanation of the
quality of North Port’s workforce is the variety and quality of
educational offerings. Our public school system is ranked best among
Florida’s 67 counties, with Sarasota County students ranking first in
Florida in both mathematics and reading comprehension.. An example of
the importance put on education in North Port is the new $55 million
North Port High School (completed in 2001) and the new Middle School
(completed in 2003). The Sarasota County School Board plans to build a
new school in North Port every two years for the foreseeable future,
with Cranberry Elementary being the first to be constructed in 2004.
At the current time North Port
contains three elementary schools, Glennallen Elementary and Toledo
Blade Elementary and Cranberry (constructed 2004).
Cost
of Doing Business
The cost of doing business in North Port
is one of the most reasonable in Florida. Its impact fees, land costs,
and utilities are all among the lowest in the region. Added to this is
the intangible benefit of a business friendly and responsive City Hall.
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