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North Port reports new business gains, workforce partnerships and development prospects
Summary
Economic Development Manager Michael Meerman told the commission North Port recorded 34 new business tax receipts in October and highlighted partnerships with local colleges and discussions with nursing‑education providers; commissioners pressed staff on timelines, utility needs and how growth ties to Activity Centers 6 and 10.
Economic Development Manager Michael Meerman presented a quarterly update to the North Port City Commission on Dec. 1, saying recent national rankings and local business activity underscore the city’s growth.
Meerman said House Beautiful ranked North Port among the top 10 U.S. cities for people in their 50s and LendingTree recently named the city the nation’s No. 3 “BoomTown.” He cautioned that such accolades are based on trailing data but pointed to local metrics: “We’ve had 34 new businesses in the month of October alone,” Meerman said, citing the city’s business tax receipt tracking.
Meerman outlined workforce and education partnerships intended to supply local employers, including engagement with State College of Florida and Suncoast Technical College. He said Suncoast’s campus expansion is under discussion and staff believe the project could remain near the $25,000,000 range, subject to final architectural and budget reviews.
On nursing education, Meerman said the city has been in talks with Galen College of Nursing about a potential campus here, including laboratory and classroom space. “They were encouraged about our invitation because they see the need in this end of the county,” Meerman said.
Commissioners asked for specifics. Commissioner Duvall pressed whether SMH (the new hospital) is integrated with local schools; Meerman responded that SMH “has a very active role” with regional nursing and technician programs. Commissioners also asked for clarification about acreage and development activity in Activity Center 6; Meerman said Activity Center 6 is approximately 1,500 acres and that roughly 30% of that area is currently engaged in development conversations, later clarified in discussion as about 400 acres actively aggregated by a private owner.
Meerman highlighted other pipeline activity, including a signed letter of intent for a large retailer in Activity Center 5 and a Federal Reserve small business credit survey that the city participated in; staff expect the report from the Fed in early spring. He also noted city efforts to use digital assets and partner organizations—the Florida SBDC at USF, SCORE and North Port Next—to support small business attraction and retention.
Next steps: staff will continue to track job growth and development metrics quarterly and bring more detailed project updates, including cost and timeline information for large campus expansions, to the commission.
