Old
Naples Renaissance
Seeing
things in Naples as they never were and asking, “why not?”
area developers are bringing new urbanism to downtown Naples.
Though much has changed
since Kentucky residents General John S. Williams and Walter Haldeman,
owner of the Louisville Courier Journal, first found paradise in 1885,
their vision for what later became the City of Naples has not. Experiencing
for the first time the glorious climate and unbridled beauty of a long
uninhabited peninsula that lay between the bay and the Gulf of Mexico,
Williams envisioned a future for this choice area – a small town
that would attract wealthy families interested in purchasing a second
home for a winter retreat.
Founding the city especially
for this upscale demographic and as a preferred destination spot for world
travelers instead of for the usual homesteads, the economic base of Naples
was established from the outset. More than 100 years later this vision
of affluence and sophistication is still driving the city’s growth.
Much like a virtuoso with
remarkable natural talents is encouraged from a very young age, concerned
town residents, elected officials, investors and visionary real estate
risk takers have mentored Naples’ evolution over the years. The
result, the 5th Avenue South District in downtown Naples is celebrated
as the most successful main street in the State of Florida. Never resting
on laurels, the downtown district is about to, once again, be transformed
and expanded into a much more pedestrian friendly urban experience. This
transformation will reflect the latest trend in good planning and development
that is revitalizing cities across the United States – “new
urbanism.”
Principles of new urbanism
focus on creating walkable neighborhoods and the fostering of distinctive
and attractive communities with a strong sense of place as well as preserving
open space and critical environmental areas. Combining these principles
with an amalgamation of resort lifestyle amenities in addition to mixing
residential condominiums and townhomes with non-residential shops, offices
and restaurants are what will serve the City of Naples and innovative
developers in creating urban experiences unique to Naples. The result,
sophisticated residents and visitors will have more of one of the most
perfect vacation spots in the world to enjoy. Taking pleasure in being
more intimately connected to the city’s best attributes, visitors
and residents will be able to experience them in stimulating, enlightening
and artful ways by foot, bike and by boat.
Recognized internationally
as a city with great assets, in particular one of the world’s best
beaches, Naples’ prudent developers are planning to enrich the experience
of the downtown district by opening up more of the city’s natural
assets, the Gordon River and Naples Bay waterfront where private homeowners,
hotel guests, and the public will be able to enjoy choice views that were
previously inaccessible, except to a select few.
Appealing across demographic
lines the downtown district will embrace the exciting development and
sale of select real estate that when considered in sum total, will have
a value exceeding $1 billion. Preferred parcels of land within two of
the city’s boundaries – the Naples Bay and the Gordon River
– will be married with high-end developments such as Naples Bay
Resort, Renaissance Village, Intermezzo and The Villages at Trail’s
End whose names reflect the city’s history, its ecology, future
and renewed purpose – to give Naples’ residents and visitors
more opportunities to enjoy an enriched lifestyle at a slower pace.
Naples Bay Resort, a resort-style
community by Antaramian Development Group is located on a 10-acre site
overlooking Naples Bay. Formerly known to residents as Boat Haven, Naples
Bay Resort is poised to become an integral part of the Naples lifestyle.
Surrounded by exquisite waterfront shops, fine dining, 97 private boat
slips and a boutique hotel with its 65 handsomely designed suites, the
30 luxurious residences at Naples Bay Resort defy the conventions of everyday
living. With public access to the waterfront, they are within easy walking
distance of 5th Avenue activities and those of Renaissance Village, which
is the successful final phase of Naples Bay Resort.
The Cottages at Naples
Bay Resort, 108 private sanctuaries located on a 14-acre site, will be
situated steps away from the 14,000-square-foot clubhouse and all its
amenities, which will include a resort-style pool, lazy river water feature,
lap pool, six lighted Har-Tru tennis courts and a state-of-the-art fitness
center. World-class amenities for Naples Bay Resort also include off-site
golfing privileges and an on-site concierge service shared with residents
of Renaissance Village.
An urban lifestyle trendsetter,
Renaissance Village will be located on the Goodlette Road site of the
previous Grand Central Station. The Mediterranean-style Renaissance Village
with approximately 300 luxury condominiums and townhomes, upscale retail
shops, fine dining restaurants and offices will dramatically change downtown
dynamics. This parcel of land encompasses four city blocks, more than
22 acres, and was designed with the foresight to include the new Florida
Gulf Coast University Naples Center. This foresight is exemplary of what
Jack Antaramian, president and CEO of Antaramian Development Group is
noted for.
Raising the bar on Naples’
5th Avenue South real estate development, Antaramian’s late 1990s
risk-taking real estate ventures sparked an 8-year “renaissance”
that resulted in increased property values and the downtown dynamics that
today draws visitors from all over the globe. Now, poised to undergo the
same "renaissance" in retail and residential offerings, upscale
developments on South Goodlette and 5th Avenue are likely to hold an equal
opportunity for buyers looking to enjoy the trend of rising property values
sparked by Antaramian’s earlier vision for downtown Naples which
embraced Goodlette Road and a Third Avenue extension for connectivity
and walkability.
Third Avenue, to be extended
from 10th Street to Goodlette Road will be constructed with urban pavers
providing car and pedestrian access to the Renaissance Village shops and
restaurants via a roundabout. Lushly landscaped pedestrian friendly walkways
will link Renaissance Village with U.S. 41 and Goodlette Road, scheduled
for a landscape facelift by the city.A $1 million Old World European-style
fountain will announce the grand approach to the Goodlette Road entrance
of Renaissance Village. Not the only grand entrance slated for Renaissance
Village, the new FGCU Naples Center’s featured aspect a 300 to 350
seat, two-story Chamber Music Hall will also have a grand entrance, and
both will be accessed through a magnificent piazza that will serve as
an epicenter for Naples events.
The FGCU Naples Center,
says president Bill Merwin, will have a 50,000-square-foot footprint with
a separate entrance to the second and third floor teaching rooms and offices.
Excited about outgrowing the Renaissance Academy’s first location
on 5th Avenue, Merwin reveals that the new learning center is dependent
upon funding that will be matched by the State of Florida. “We have
already raised $5 million,” says Merwin.
The Villages at Trail’s
End by Weakly Family Development is another development that combines
40 residences with retail shops, restaurants and office space. Located
within a neighborhood that has traditionally been occupied by service
businesses supporting downtown and its residential neighborhoods, The
Villages at Trail’s End is located where the Trail’s End motel
once stood.
Outstanding planning and
design connect Intermezzo to the surrounding fabric of Old Naples and
its waterfront. Opposite Renaissance Village on Goodlette Road, this Gulf
Coast Commercial Corporation development will provide a spectacular setting
for 146 residences in three mid-rise buildings. Surrounded by The Gordon
River on three sides, this gated luxury condominium community on 10.5
acres includes 54 boat slips with access to the Naples Bay and the Gulf.
A waterfront promenade along the perimeter of the property will link with
other pedestrian friendly walkways that lead to an adjacent city park
as well as nearby prestigious restaurants and shopping areas, art galleries,
live theatre and the Gordon River Greenway.
Linking each of the new
downtown developments to each other and to 5th Avenue as well as connecting
them to the Conservancy of Southwest Florida, the Naples Zoo and other
sites of interest, the Gordon River Greenway could be likened to a green
pearl necklace fashioned by Mother Nature and strung along some of Naples’
most exquisite natural settings. Intended as a nature trail to promote
walking or bicycling as an alternative means to take in the bouquet of
the city’s existing and planned pleasures, pedal pushers and high
striders can expect to enjoy the greenway, which will also be linked to
lushly landscaped streetscapes financed by developers. Resting spots,
pergolas, trellises, linear parks, architecturally unified buildings,
beautiful fountains, water features and promenades offering new views
of the Gordon River and Naples Bay will connect with the Greenway, a segment
of which is already built around the Naples Municipal Airport.
“Landscape architecture
is more than trees and bushes, it’s fountains, plazas, lighting,
ambiance and themes all coming to play in the new developments and linear
parks linking to the Greenway,” says Richard Tindall of JRL, landscape
architects for Renaissance Village, Naples Bay Resort and Trail’s
End. The partnership between the developers and the city, says Tindell,
is the means for extending as far as possible the charm and Old World
grace that Naples enjoys.”
Visiting Old Naples and
parking the car for the day to enjoy numerous recreational, social and
cultural pleasantries is the new reality shaping the template of Naples
new urbanism. Connectivity achieved by removing all barriers to the enjoyment
of walking everywhere downtown will give footloose pedestrians a better
state of mind and health and allow them to enjoy a leisurely stroll to
appreciate the spirit of order and unity of architectural intention. An
added benefit while strolling, the senses can feast themselves on the
sights, sounds and flavors of the city, its waterfront and its world-class
shopping, dining and arts.
Jack Wert, Executive Director
of the Naples, Marco Island, Everglades Convention & Visitor’s
Bureau is looking forward to Naples’ new persona. “The proposed
changes create quite a new look for downtown. I think this type of exciting
development will lead people to buy residential real estate in the downtown
area,” says Wert.
“Never forget that
we are dependent upon seasonal visitors,” advises Wert who points
out that the majority fly into the new Southwest Florida International
airport in Fort Myers. “Some buy property but more spend months
vacationing,” says Wert, who sees the changes as being good for
the community and for the Chamber’s marketing of Naples as a destination
with Old European charm.
For vacationers and north/south
commuters looking to access Naples from the airport conveniently, the
new Interstate 75 interchange at Golden Gate Parkway and overpass at Airport-Pulling
Road will offer time savings, according to Don Scott who heads up the
planning division for the county’s transportation department.
Opening up new and attractive
pedestrian friendly possibilities for connectivity is the purpose for
the Four Corners design project which will unite the existing and future
developments planned for east of U.S. 41 and those beyond within the 5th
Avenue South area.
“The overriding objective
of Four Corners (the intersection of U.S. 41 and 5th Avenue) is to create
pedestrian connectivity to both sides of U.S. 41 in order to facilitate
safe movement to and from areas of downtown,” says Matt Kragh, AIA,
a principal of Architectural Network Inc.Overseeing the jury for Four
Corners international competition ending in March, Kragh sees the overhaul
of the intersection as having traffic-calming effects and providing an
architectural statement or feature that identifies the area as a downtown
activity center or hub. The unique Four Corners’ international competition
will result in a juried award of $10,000 in addition to a People’s
Choice Award. All qualified entry artwork will be on display at The Von
Liebig Art Center from March 22 to March 25. Each entry will have a ballot
box for anonymous public voting.“We have entries from all over the
world,” says Kragh who indicates that the People’s Choice
Award will give the public an opportunity to select a winning entry without
having to take into consideration things like technical aspects, costs
and feasibility.
Energizing, vibrant and
infusing Naples with new life, the move toward new urbanism is as unique
as this sub-tropical paradise itself. A plan that reflects harmony and
proportion, it appears that the exterior results have been generated from
within the minds and hearts of all who love Naples. It serves the city,
its residents and visitors in healthful ways unknowingly complying with
the new “Step up Florida” plan – a plan by the Florida
Department of Health to help keep its residents healthy.
Naples Mayor, Bill Barnett
appreciates all the input that has gone into the revitalization and rebuilding
of Naples since 1996. “The 41-10 District that encompasses the property
being developed now, including the new boutique hotel BellaSera, has been
studied by a group of citizens, city officials and developers who served
on committees. I’m proud of the citizens who worked hard to put
their dreams and visions on paper,” Barnett says.
“The development
of Renaissance Village was a part of an earlier 1990s envisioning process,”
Barnett comments. “Naples Bay Resort was only a marina a couple
of years ago and Grand Central Station was barely surviving.We knew when
Jack Antaramian bought Grand Central Station and the marina we were going
to get a complete package. I think when this whole thing comes to fruition,
Naples is going to look and feel amazing,” concludes Barnett.
Offering an enriched lifestyle
and new choices, the plan calls for enjoying more of what Naples, a city
with an abundance of natural amenities, has to offer. The transformation
will result in an ultimate destination where it’s possible to live,
work and play together. Well beyond the imaginings of prophetic visionaries
like Williams, today’s developers see things as they never were
and ask, “why not?” Standing on the shoulders of earlier real
estate development giants, they have seen visions that are being put in
place to positively impact the area’s growth.
Real estate analyst Rick
Armalavage of Armalavage and Associates sees the new development with
a
1. Renaissance Village - Live, dine, shop and play at Renaissance Village.
Residences range from 1,058 to 2,935 square feet and overlook a variety
of neo-urban features including the magnificent piazza with fine shops
and dining, private amenity decks, or classically designed streetscapes.
All of which are embellished with cascading water fountains, lush landscaping
and classic Mediterranean style architecture. Creating the perfect union
of resort living and urban style.
2. The Clubhouse and Cottages at Naples Bay Resort – The Cottages
feature spacious, luxurious condominiums, while the clubhouse provides
year-round, resort-style amenities to both Renaissance Village and Naples
Bay Resort owners.
3. The Hotel at Naples Bay Resort – The Hotel at Naples Bay Resort
includes the very best in luxury accommodations, whether it’s an
overnight getaway or a seasonal vacation.
4. The Residences at Naples Bay Resort – Thirty ultra-luxurious
residences overlooking the pristine waters of Naples Bay and the resort’s
marina.
5. Gateway Triangle Area – This area, which includes plans for future
redevelopment, represents the city’s entrance to the Downtown district,
with the convergence of Davis Boulevard, the South Trail and Sandpiper
Boulevard, three main thoroughfares that lead residents and visitors alike
directly to 5th Avenue South and the beaches.
6. Pedestrian Greenway – The proposed 2-mile greenway will extend
north from 5th Avenue South to Golden Gate Parkway, affording pedestrians
and bikers scenic natural views from interconnecting boardwalks and pathways.
7. Renaissance Academy – Dedicated to serving the Southwest Florida
community, Florida Gulf Coast University will soon debut its plans for
its new Renaissance Academy. A 50,000-square-foot facility that will bring
intellectual stimulation through expanded course offerings as well as
a 350-seat performing arts venue.
8. Four Corners – With the redevelopment of Downtown Naples, the
Four Corners will soon become the signature entry to Old Naples as the
city embarks upon a nation-wide contest for its redesign.
9. Goodlette Road Improvements – Extending from Central Avenue to
5th Avenue South, the improvement project includes proposed new sidewalks,
pedestrian lighting, landscaped medians and special paving accents.
10. Bayfront Inn on Fifth – This newly renovated, luxurious boutique
hotel offers bay vistas, access to Downtown Naples and a 12-slip marina
with on-site boat charters and day rentals.
11. Bayfront – Located on the corner of Goodlette Road South and
5th Avenue South, offering high-end waterfront residential, retail and
marina space.
12. Lido Bay – A newly completed private marina located adjacent
to Joe’s Crab Shack, a popular waterfront restaurant.
13. Trail's End – Forty residences overlooking a landscaped plaza,
featuring exclusive shops and city-style living.
14. Bellasera – A recently completed condominium hotel with more
than 100 rooms, pool, meeting rooms and fine dining.
15. Intermezzo – Located on Goodlette Road South, an upscale waterfront
condominium and marina complex overlooking the Gordon River.
16. City Park – Located on a piece of property generously donated
by long-time Neapolitans, the Pulling family, plans are in the works to
create a city-owned park overlooking the Gordon River, complete with waterfront
amenities. European flavor as an asset. “Naples is taking on a more
European style of living where people walk everywhere,” says Armalavage
whose surveys for planned development show that the number one desired
amenity is walking/jogging paths. He said it’s not just for heath
reasons.“People like to interact with other people and with nature.
Buyers who want social interaction, a mixed bag with a variety of ages
and philosophic outlooks will find it in Naples because the city will
be more than a cocoon,” quips Armalavage.
The benefits of Naples
plan for new urbanism is well summed up by Naples residents, George Sypert
and Joy Arpin, retired neurosurgeons who live in the downtown area off
5th Avenue South. “We walk everywhere,” says Sypert. “For
dinner we might walk to a Bayfront restaurant, take a casual walk to Tin
City or walk to Blue Sushi on Third Street.We have cocktails at home with
guests and then we all walk to Zen’s or another restaurant on 5th
Avenue for dinner. This is an incredible place with an Old European feeling,
more on a human scale. Naples is only going to get better,” concludes
Sypert who is a major contributor to the funding of the FGCU University
Naples Center.
Frank Lloyd Wright, world-renowned
architect, believed that any structure should be of its environment rather
than on it. It appears that Old Naples and all of its new architectural
achievements will be congruent with its environment and comply with Wright’s
observation. And those of us who are fortunate enough to live in or amongst
the city’s new urban landscapes and streetscapes will be blissfully
satisfied to be from them.
For
more information please contact:
Premier Properties of Southwest Florida, Inc. Realtors®
1395 Panther Lane, Suite 210, Naples, FL 34109
239 403-2200
Written by Linda Sechrist
www.premier-properties.com
