Don Paight…the man with his eye on the plan

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By Phyllis Ershowsky

With more than a new name and a colorful logo, the Fort Myers River District is beginning to spring up.

And for more than 20 years of ups and downs, Don Paight, Executive Director of the Downtown Redevelopment Agency, has been there to see it all.

With his soft-spoken manner and a sense of calm in the eye of the storm, Paight credits city managers and community residents for the recent advancements toward progress after years of small steps, setbacks and slowdowns. He minimizes his role as the one who continues to bring the key parties together and to bring his unflagging passion to this project.

"When I started in March of '87, I had no intention of staying this long," says Paight who came to Fort Myers after serving in similar positions in Norwich, Conn. and Memphis, Tenn. "But I fell in love with the lifestyle and stayed. And now I have to keep the activity and synergy going to see it through."

It seems like the efforts of Paight and company are beginning to pay off. Of the 3,800 housing units approved for development, 1,500 have been completed or are under construction. On an even brighter note, people are actually starting to move in - 30 units at High Point Place are occupied, a sign that many one-time investors are becoming actual residents. The Alta Mar and Beau Rivage projects are also completed, and the Riviera and St. Tropez are expected to be ready this summer. For Paight, every hint of progress reflects a victory.

"It's the residents who are really behind downtown," he explains. "This is their neighborhood and they're creating an urban lifestyle, a village comprised of people. It's very rewarding."

Paight says the developers are working together on joint marketing programs that will bring people downtown to check out their options.

"Once they're here, they have an opportunity to find a home and location that works for them," Paight says.

Paight's involvement extends beyond housing issues to determining what services and amenities are available once the residents live here. He is encouraged by the progress at First Street Village, about 80,000-square-feet of retail, commercial and condominium space anchored by a Publix supermarket. There's also a newly appointed public art committee responsible for selecting appropriate locations for art displays. Just last week, plans were unveiled for an Albert Paley sculpture commissioned by Bob Cohen of Home of America for the St. Tropez & Riviera entry. Paley is a renowned forged metal sculptor.

"The art will be perfectly reflective of Fort Myers," says Paight. "The sculptured palm leaves and a palette of yellows, greens and blues is an amazing depiction of our area."

Art downtown will also flourish when the Art of Olympians Museum spearheaded by Olympic gold medalist and artist Al Oerter comes to fruition.

Next on the horizon: development of the waterfront, the unique aspect that "makes us different from downtown Naples and most other downtowns."

"The City has hired local architect Parker, Mudgett, Smith to plan a waterfront retail, restaurant and entertainment area," explains Paight. "We've also hired Buxton Co., a national retail marketing and recruitment firm, to bring more retail to the waterfront and the rest of the City. There's a really exciting opportunity to make this area a destination."

As Paight reflects on the team efforts to bring all these components together, he comments on how closely they have followed the original plan by internationally renowned planner and architect Andres Duany.

"The City paid $273,000 for the plan - a plan that lifted the level of excitement," says Paight. "Duany has approved every step including the streetscapes, utility placement underground, brick streets, and historic lamp posts. If developers build above the height limits, we are requiring them to give back funds for public art, river walks, road improvements and a free trolley - it gives us the opportunity to ask for more."

As the self-described "cheerleader" for downtown, Paight sees his role as a troubleshooter and communicator whose job it is to make the appropriate introductions and to ensure the agencies are all working together to implement the plan. He "keeps the pulse" on what's going on and what's coming up without losing sight of the fact that downtown Fort Myers functions every day as a real city, accommodating about 5,000-6,000 government employees on a daily basis.

"I love speaking with Realtors and developers about downtown and conveying our vision to other people," says Paight. "My small part in making this area change and grow and revitalize is extremely rewarding - we're watching it all happen from a plan on paper. I've watched this community begin to grab on to this vision - and once the community is behind it, I believe they can accomplish anything."

As the downtown story continues to unfold, Don Paight, the man with his eye on the plan, is poised to watch it all happen. n