It’s guaranteed when you’re in Lehigh Acres that you will see construction somewhere or there’s a plan for new businesses, like the upcoming Chipotle on Lee Boulevard.
With so many businesses on that road, it seems like Lehigh’s unofficial main street.
Right around the corner, on Homestead Road is where Lehigh’s first Chick-Fil-A will go.
FGCU Professor Shelton Weeks said big name franchises like that are an important benchmark for Lehigh. It means they see a future here.
“It’s either at or will soon be at that point where one of our locations is going to be profitable in this market,” Weeks said.
Watch Lehigh Acres Community Correspondent Ella Rhoades report below:
BOOMIN’ BIZ: More franchises move to Lehigh
Professor Weeks said over the past decade, a lot more people moved here for more affordable homes.
“When you get very close to build out, like some of our coastal communities in Southwest Florida, then you can see very rapid escalation in the land prices,” he said.