http://naplesnews.com/news/growth/naplesnews.com Stories: Growth & Developmenten-usgrowthhttp://naplesnews.com/news/2008/may/10/new-construction-permits-holding-steady-though-dow/New development in Collier and Lee counties has flattened out after a long decline, but officials remain hesitant to say the market for new construction is on the way up. Both Collier and Lee, like other coastal counties on Florida’s west coast, have reported a fair amount of “bouncing around” with new construction, making it anyone’s guess where the market will go from here. Lee County government issued the same number of permits for single-family homes in April as it issued in March -- 47. Single-family home permits issued last month in Collier were at 56, more than half the levels seen in April 2007. Sat, 10 May 2008 21:03:00 -0000http://naplesnews.com/news/2008/may/10/new-construction-permits-holding-steady-though-dow/businesshttp://naplesnews.com/news/2008/may/05/bonefish-grill-opening-today-naples-bay-resort/Bonefish Grill is opening at 4 this afternoon in the Naples Bay Resort, 1500 Fifth Ave. S. Mon, 05 May 2008 19:09:00 -0000http://naplesnews.com/news/2008/may/05/bonefish-grill-opening-today-naples-bay-resort/entertainment/restaurantshttp://naplesnews.com/news/2008/may/04/24m-home-renovation-project-under-way-immokalee/More than 300 Timber Ridge and Sanders Pines residents in Immokalee are getting their homes renovated. Among a slate of improvements, Professional Building Systems subcontractors are installing new kitchen and bathroom cabinets and doors at the 40-unit Sanders Pines apartment complex, near Eden and Carson roads. Mon, 05 May 2008 01:50:00 -0000http://naplesnews.com/news/2008/may/04/24m-home-renovation-project-under-way-immokalee/growthhttp://naplesnews.com/news/2008/may/03/collier-essential-service-worker-project-gets-stat/A Southwest Florida project has won a $5 million state grant to create affordable housing for essential employees in Collier County. The project, called Fountain Lakes, will offer 296 multifamily units on 23 acres off Collier Boulevard. It’s targeted at “essential services personnel,” such as nurses, firefighters and teachers, whose household income is between $49,000 and $89,000. Sat, 03 May 2008 20:41:00 -0000http://naplesnews.com/news/2008/may/03/collier-essential-service-worker-project-gets-stat/growthhttp://naplesnews.com/news/2008/apr/27/downtown-bonita-rebirth-hinges-market-recovery/When Bonita Springs developed its downtown revitalization project, the plan relied on bringing new residents to the Old 41 Road corridor. That component made sense — it was part of the Naples and Fort Myers revitalization projects, too — because downtown residents brought activity 24 hours, seven days a week to the area instead of just having a 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. crowd come for new businesses and attractions. Sun, 27 Apr 2008 23:13:00 -0000http://naplesnews.com/news/2008/apr/27/downtown-bonita-rebirth-hinges-market-recovery/growthhttp://naplesnews.com/news/2008/apr/27/merrill-lynch-will-move-expanded-offices-mercato/The Merrill Lynch financial management and advisory firm will occupy office space in The Mercato development in North Naples, The Lutgert Companies announced. Sun, 27 Apr 2008 14:12:00 -0000http://naplesnews.com/news/2008/apr/27/merrill-lynch-will-move-expanded-offices-mercato/businesshttp://naplesnews.com/news/2008/apr/23/village-venetian-bay-receive-4m-makeover/Fashions change, but some basics never go out of style. The Village on Venetian Bay shopping area, a collection of shops and restaurants in Naples, will receive a $4 million remake but its Mediterranean-style architecture is here to stay. Work will begin in June and is slated to be completed in the fall, but the center will be open regular hours throughout the renovations. The Village’s 50 fashion boutiques and shops and five restaurants are perched over the waters of Venetian Bay, and shoppers walk between shops in open air hallways with fountains, awnings and seating. Wed, 23 Apr 2008 22:18:00 -0000http://naplesnews.com/news/2008/apr/23/village-venetian-bay-receive-4m-makeover/localhttp://naplesnews.com/news/2008/apr/22/collier-settles-240-million-claim-involving-bald-e/Collier County has settled a $240 million property rights claim a North Naples landowner filed in May 2006 after county commissioners refused to loosen bald eagle protection rules at a high-rise condominium site. Tue, 22 Apr 2008 14:16:00 -0000http://naplesnews.com/news/2008/apr/22/collier-settles-240-million-claim-involving-bald-e/growthhttp://naplesnews.com/news/2008/apr/20/cultural-arts-district-hopes-attract-businesses/Cultural Arts District designation in the works? Check. Excited residents? Check. Businesses clamoring to be part of Bayshore in East Naples? Still working on it. But one thing is for sure— local businesses are getting excited. Mon, 21 Apr 2008 01:17:00 -0000http://naplesnews.com/news/2008/apr/20/cultural-arts-district-hopes-attract-businesses/growthhttp://naplesnews.com/news/2008/apr/19/lawmakers-may-cut-change-affordable-housing-progra/Housing advocates are bracing themselves for a trust fund raid at a time they say affordable housing is needed more then ever as low- and moderate-income residents deal with a lingering economic slowdown. Florida lawmakers are wrangling over how to fill gaps in the state $65.5 billion budget. So they have their eye on a $333 million pot of money sitting in a trust fund that is supposed to provide housing support for the state’s neediest residents. Sat, 19 Apr 2008 20:31:00 -0000http://naplesnews.com/news/2008/apr/19/lawmakers-may-cut-change-affordable-housing-progra/localhttp://naplesnews.com/news/2008/apr/18/hopes-dreams-imperial-landing-project-dashed-away/Six years worth of work — and hopes and dreams — went down the tubes when Bonita Springs’ plans for downtown revitalization blew up in its face on Friday. Fri, 18 Apr 2008 23:15:00 -0000http://naplesnews.com/news/2008/apr/18/hopes-dreams-imperial-landing-project-dashed-away/growthhttp://naplesnews.com/news/2008/apr/18/developer-antaramian-pulls-out-imperial-landing-pr/The oldest part of Bonita Springs was supposed to get a dash of everything new, lively and upscale once a Naples developer went ahead with a deal with the city to redevelop a former trailer park on riverfront property the city owns. That was the promise of the Imperial Landing project, and over the past few years, the proposal for a mix of condominiums, shops and restaurants along the Imperial River has fueled many City Council votes and several election campaigns. Now, the deal’s dead. Fri, 18 Apr 2008 15:19:00 -0000http://naplesnews.com/news/2008/apr/18/developer-antaramian-pulls-out-imperial-landing-pr/localhttp://naplesnews.com/news/2008/apr/14/state-shares-concerns-over-bonita-beach-road-inter/The state and federal governments share Bonita Springs’ concern about the Interstate 75 interchange at Bonita Beach Road. The Bonita City Council commissioned a study more than a year ago to propose solutions to ease traffic congestion at the interchange, even though the responsibility of the two thoroughfares lies on Lee County, the Florida Department of Transportation and the federal government. Tue, 15 Apr 2008 01:37:00 -0000http://naplesnews.com/news/2008/apr/14/state-shares-concerns-over-bonita-beach-road-inter/bonita_newshttp://naplesnews.com/news/2008/apr/14/naples-looks-create-business-park-district/Industrial is too much. Heavy commercial isn’t enough. But Naples City Council is hoping that a new zoning designation — a business park district — is just industrial enough to fit the light industrial park that calls Naples home. Mon, 14 Apr 2008 18:45:00 -0000http://naplesnews.com/news/2008/apr/14/naples-looks-create-business-park-district/businesshttp://naplesnews.com/news/2008/apr/13/dominican-republic-rich-climate-southwest-florida-/Southwest Florida businesses are crossing country lines and moving into a new market: the Dominican Republic. A Fort Myers-based engineering firm planned to celebrate the grand opening of its office in Las Terrenas on Friday, and a Naples-based developer planned to break ground on a condominium project in Cabrera on Saturday. Mon, 14 Apr 2008 01:38:00 -0000http://naplesnews.com/news/2008/apr/13/dominican-republic-rich-climate-southwest-florida-/businesshttp://naplesnews.com/news/2008/apr/09/new-economic-subdistrict-could-bring-2000-jobs-imm/More economic development could be coming to Immokalee. Collier County commissioners unanimously approved an amendment to Immokalee’s growth management plan to include a 165-acre economic subdistrict. Wed, 09 Apr 2008 22:06:00 -0000http://naplesnews.com/news/2008/apr/09/new-economic-subdistrict-could-bring-2000-jobs-imm/localhttp://naplesnews.com/news/2008/apr/07/corkscrew-road-widening-delayed-least-another-year/Lee County commissioners will wait to re-bid the widening of Corkscrew Road. At least until June, and maybe as long as 2011. Tue, 08 Apr 2008 01:41:00 -0000http://naplesnews.com/news/2008/apr/07/corkscrew-road-widening-delayed-least-another-year/localhttp://naplesnews.com/news/2008/apr/07/work-parking-garage-continues-despite-hawks/Two Cooper's hawks aren't budging from their nest atop a mahogany tree despite the resumption of work at a parking garage site today in downtown Naples. The federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act makes it a crime to cause the hawks to abandon their nest on the edge of the work site at the corner of Eighth Street South and Sixth Avenue. Violations carry a penalty of up to a $5,000 fine and a year in prison. City Manager Bill Moss stopped work last week for a day after a downtown merchant discovered the nest. Moss gave the go-ahead Friday to restart work today to drill a test hole for the garage. Mon, 07 Apr 2008 22:02:00 -0000http://naplesnews.com/news/2008/apr/07/work-parking-garage-continues-despite-hawks/environmenthttp://naplesnews.com/news/2008/apr/07/collier-commissioners-will-consider-loan-improve-r/Collier County commissioners are expected to decide Tuesday whether to sign off on a $50 million state loan so the county’s transportation improvement plans can stay on track. Mon, 07 Apr 2008 20:54:00 -0000http://naplesnews.com/news/2008/apr/07/collier-commissioners-will-consider-loan-improve-r/localhttp://naplesnews.com/news/2008/apr/06/ma-and-pas-plight/The owner of a Bonita Springs night spot had to pack it in. First came the incessant road construction. Then the rent went up about $3,000 a month. But the owner of an artsy boutique on Bonita Beach Road is always busy. She came up with a niche product, and she’s seen her business triple. So there’s no one answer when you take the pulse of business. Mon, 07 Apr 2008 00:17:00 -0000http://naplesnews.com/news/2008/apr/06/ma-and-pas-plight/business