LAKEWOOD RANCH — Telling them to cease thinking of themselves as “war criminals” because they are pro-business, Schroeder-Manatee Ranch’s Rex Jensen delivered a call to arms to roughly 275 business leaders attending the last Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance meeting of 2009.
Speaking at the Polo Grill & Bar on Main Street, Jensen called on Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance members to stand and fight attitudes to get more economic development in Manatee and Sarasota, even if it means clashing with people who say, “not in my neighborhood.”
“It’s time to stop being docile and act like we are part of the leadership,” Jensen said.
Jensen’s topic was a prognosis of the economy, predicting 2010 won’t be a gang busters year, but by 2011 and 2012 the region should be climbing out of the pit.
But the president and chief executive officer of SMR went further, railing against anyone or anything that places restraints on free enterprise during these dire financial times.
Jensen urged business people to stand up to “no-growthers” and “N.O.P.E.’s,” members of a Not on Planet Earth group that haunts his sleep. He encouraged citizens to read Ayn Rand’s famous book, “Atlas Shrugged” and to become conscious of initiatives that “destroy private sector initiative.”
He hinted that it was “time for Atlas to shrug and show his muscle,” referring to the business leaders who carry the world on their shoulders.
Brian Kennelly, president of LWR Commercial Realty, had the task of following Jensen with a update of SMR’s commercial and residential projects.
Kennelly told the crowd that the existing inventory for sale in Lakewood Ranch is only 245 units, including 202 single family homes and 43 condos.
This is down from a peak in late 2007 of just more than 800 units, 650 single-family homes and 150 condos.
The significant drop in inventory is a clue to Kennelly that, at least in Lakewood Ranch, things are moving off the bottom.
Kennelly also reported that Lakewood Ranch now has 7,000 homes and a future rough projection of 23,000 more.
Kennelly said SMR has 2.5 million square feet of office space built ,of which 14 percent is vacant.
But Sarasota and Manatee counties combined have a 22 percent office vacancy right now.
Jensen rued the fact that Florida presents a thorny welcome for prospective corporations.
Although impact fees are important, Jensen said they have gotten out of hand and their “order of magnitude” scares off new business to Florida.
Kennelly later commented on Jensen’s speech, saying “a call to action is long overdue.”
Darrell Turner of Turner Landscaping said he agrees with what Jensen said.
“We’ve got to look to the future because Baby Boomers will be coming south. We have to become Florida Friendly if we want them to come to Florida,” Turner said.
Richard Dymond, Herald reporter, can be reached at 748-0411, ext. 6686.
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