NAPLES, Fla. - Vacant shops and "For Rent" signs are a regular sight on Naples' Fifth Avenue South these days. With the number of empty shops multiplying, property owners here are seeking help to fill these spaces once again.

This week, that help comes in the form of a consultant hired by the Fifth Avenue Property Owners.

In the last year, the number of empty store fronts has jumped to more than 20 in the six block stretch from 3rd Street South to 9th Street South.

"We were surprised at some of the empty store spots," tourist Bridget Smith says.

"Its sad. I remember when it was very busy down here," Fort Myers resident Regine Robertson adds.

The hardest hit: the south side of Fifth, between 8th and 9th streets, where seven shops are shut down.

"If there's not stores on this block, people don't come here," Guess-Fisher Gallery owner Natalie Guess says. "There's only two of us in the retail business on this block, so it makes it tough."

The Fifth Avenue South Property Owners kick off a planning study this week. According to the Downtown Naples Association, a consultant will visit with business and property owners, city leaders, and the people in the community to figure out how to bring Fifth Avenue South back to life.

"I think its great. Anything we can do to help our street and our businesses, and all of us pulling together," Jake's Bungalow manager Tabitha Deener says.

Guess says the slumps have come in waves over the years she's been here. She hopes people will take the suggestions seriously this time, and in the mean time, that the people spending money come back this season.

"I'm always optimistic," she says.

With season just around the corner, some positive signs are popping up. Soon, you'll see a new restaurant, a shoe store, and a few pizzerias.

"I think it'll be okay," Deener says.

The consultant study is privately funded. It's a two phase project, with two companies involved in gathering the information, then forming suggestions to revitalize Fifth.