Gov. Rick Scott and the Florida Cabinet on Tuesday approved the sale of the former G. Pierce Wood Mental Health Facility near Arcadia in DeSoto County.
Power Auto Corp. purchased the property with plans to construct a manufacturing facility, driver training center, tactical training center and a hotel. The company claims the proposed facility will bring between 80 and 120 jobs to the area during the first year, and up to 360 within five years.
Said Scott, Hundreds of Floridians will be able to find a job and provide for their families because of Power Auto Corp.s relocation to DeSoto County. Thanks to our improving economy, more companies are choosing to build their businesses in our state ...
The property is approximately 496 acres of surplus, nonconservation land, which includes 565,000 square feet of building space.
The Department of Juvenile Justice took full responsibility for the property, and in July 2012 requested it be surplused. Power Auto submitted a qualifying bid of $2,500,101 to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection's Division of State Lands in November.
Im excited about this disposition, said Kelley Boree, director of DEPs Division of State Lands. "It is always pleasing to see corporate opportunities coming into the state and Power Auto Corp. has a multi-use development plan that is expected to offer top performance rally-car driver training and manufacturing facilities.
"Their new facility will offer tremendous economic benefits to DeSoto County in the future.
DEP is in the process of selling many state-owned, surplus, nonconservation lands to increase the budget for future purchases of environmentally sensitive conservation lands.
