The Pine Ridge Government Complex, located at 15650-15680 Pine Ridge Road, is home to new offices for the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, Emergency Medical Services (EMS), and the Iona-McGregor Fire District. The Lee County Tax Collector’s Office is located in the building next door.

The two buildings combine for more than 40,000 square feet at a cost of $9 million. The cost was greatly reduced due to the fact that the county already owned the 9-acre property, thus no property acquisition costs were incurred. In most construction projects, land acquisition is a major component in the total cost of the project.

According to West District commander Captain Matt Powell, it means a more centralized location for the sheriff’s office to serve the needs of residents in the west part of our county, whose coverage area extends from McGregor Boulevard to Sanibel and Fort Myers Beach to U.S. 41. “Coupled with the Summerlin Road expansion, this puts us in the middle of the action, which is where we want to be,” says Captain Powell. “That, along with the convenience factor for the public, makes it a win-win situation.”

The ribbon cutting is scheduled for today at 11 a.m., and will feature remarks from Sheriff Mike Scott and others.