The price equates to $227,272 per acre or $5.21 psf, not overlysteep in a tourist section where nearby corner parcels onInternational Drive have gone quickly in past years at $1 millionper acre, or about $22.95 psf. CB Richard Ellis' fee translates toabout ½% of a projected $80 million price for the dirt.

Commissioners decided to sell the land after realizing the tractwas too valuable to maintain as a site for recharging theunderground water table with rainwater and runoff. The county istaking the unusual step of hiring a private planner to rezone thefor-government-use only status of the dirt to allow for commercial,hotel, time share and retail development.

County chairman Mel Martinez projects the rezoning effort willadd about $9 million to the tract's value. Canin Associates ofOrlando won a $500,000 county contract to help rezone the land. Thecounty estimates it will take about 18 months to find a potentialbuyer.