Growth & Development

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.
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Bonefish Grill is opening at 4 this afternoon in the Naples Bay Resort, 1500 Fifth Ave. S. Full story »

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. Full story »

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. Full story »

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. Full story »

The Merrill Lynch financial management and advisory firm will occupy office space in The Mercato development in North Naples, The Lutgert Companies announced. Full story »

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. Full story »

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.
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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. Full story »

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. Full story »

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. Full story »

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. Full story »