photo mosaic of Naples, Florida pier, Bayfront, Bayside, dolphin jumping, magenta orchid, water birds silhouetted against the sunset
Mile of momentum. Old 41 rapid transformation reshapes downtown Bonita

Mile of momentum. Old 41 rapid transformation reshapes downtown Bonita

Phil Fernandez | Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News

The In the Know questions from you about what’s become a one-mile expanse of monster construction along what at one time had been a lonely stretch of Southwest Florida highway are many, such as these.

“Hi Phil. I enjoy reading your column, and now I find myself writing to you about the developments going on in my backyard: Old 41 in downtown Bonita Springs. So much has been done over the years to restore and maintain the ‘downtown’ nature of the village,” said reader Barbara McMahon. “Can you tell us what the plan is for the area from Terry to Bonita Beach Road?

“Right now there is major construction of a luxury apartment complex − Imperial 41 − that spans both sides of the river. And just a block south, the area where the Lee Sheriff had a satellite station is fenced off for construction, and the park across the street is also fenced off. (The) city has developed Old 41 into a lovely walkable road with islands and great landscaping. Will it be overwhelmed?”

Read the full article on naplesnews.com to get answers to questions like “What’s behind Imperial 41 housing in Bonita Springs, Florida?, How did Lee County’s Imperial 41 come together in Bonita?,” and more.

Are you looking for a home in beautiful Southwest Florida? Contact David at David@DavidFlorida.com or 239-285-1086.

Rare $11.5 million Marco Island estate hits market

Rare $11.5 million Marco Island estate hits market

Laura Layden | Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News

For the first time in more than four years, a waterfront estate has hit the market in Marco Island’s exclusive Hideaway Beach community.

The price tag: $11.5 million.

The estate, built in 2022, spans more than 5,500 square feet. It has four bedrooms (all of them suites), with five bathrooms in total, including a powder room.

The property has nearly 100 feet of water frontage, with direct beach access, in a private gated community.

The affluent community includes a private nine-hole executive golf course and clubhouse, with two miles of beach sitting directly on the Gulf, and a recently added sports center.

On Marco, Hideaway Beach is the only place where you can have a home directly on the beach.

Cathy Rogers, a global real estate advisor with Premier Sotheby’s International Realty on Marco, is the agent for the rare listing. She also sold the last beachfront single-family home listing in Hideaway Beach, a deal that closed in March 2022.

“This property is located at a more private end of the beach, the other one was right next to the clubhouse,” Rogers said.

Read the full article with photos on naplesnews.com.

Ready to explore the most exceptional properties of Southwest Florida? Contact me today to begin your journey. Contact David at David@DavidFlorida.com or 239-285-1086.

It’s Gulf sea turtle nesting season, how you can keep them safe

It’s Gulf sea turtle nesting season, how you can keep them safe

Chad Gillis | Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News

They’re Leviathans of the sea, truly massive creatures that cross oceans each year in order to feed and reproduce.

Sea turtles flock to Florida beaches each summer to dig giant holes, fill them with hundreds of eggs, cover the eggs and then return to the Atlantic Ocean or Gulf.

Compared to their land cousins, sea turtles are enormous, some (like the leatherback) reaching the size of a small car.

They first emerged around 110 million years ago, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, or FWC, the state agency charged with protected sea turtles and other wildlife.

State nest monitoring increases
Locally, dozens of volunteers and scientists will spend most summer mornings walking local beaches and looking for turtle tracks, which are several feet wide and go from the Gulf, up the beach and then back down to the water.

The state reported more than 133,414 nests on beaches that are monitored in Florida, and that number broke the previous 2016 record by about 8,000 nests, according to Florida Wildlife Research Institute records and local sea turtle experts.

Loggerheads are the most common sea turtle species found on Southwest Florida beaches, and they nest here on places like Sanibel Island, Fort Myers Beach, Bonita Beach, in Naples and on Marco Island.

Read more about the sea turtles on naplesnews.com.

Are you looking for a home in the Naples, Florida area? Contact David at David@DavidFlorida.com or 239-285-1086.

Naples waterfront development ‘The Viceroy’ moves closer to approval

Naples waterfront development ‘The Viceroy’ moves closer to approval

Laura Layden | Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News

A long-planned, mixed-use waterfront development in Naples has cleared another regulatory hurdle.

On May 13, the city’s Planning Advisory Board voted unanimously to recommend approval of a conditional use petition to city council.

Years in the making, the project, overlooking Naples Bay, has faced challenges as it has evolved.

Formerly known as The Prom and now as The Viceroy, the development is planned on 1.81 acres of long vacant land, near the intersection of Riverpoint Drive and the Fifth Avenue South bridge downtown.

Plans for the three-story development include short-term lodging, along with other retail and commercial uses, supported by surface and underground parking, as well as street parking.

Read the full article and see renderings on naplesnews.com.

Naples ‘house on the beach’ condo lists for $13.9 million

Naples ‘house on the beach’ condo lists for $13.9 million

Andrea Stetson | Special to The News-Press & Naples Daily News

Jeanna Wolfe’s spacious home has sliding glass doors that lead to a humongous lanai with a pool and spa overlooking the Gulf. That might not seem unusual unless you know that Wolfe lives in a condo.

“We didn’t want to be in a condo building, but this is like a house on the beach,” Wolfe stressed. “The terrace has stairs right to the beach. It really feels perfect for the person that wants a house on the beach, but the ease of a condo.”

It is the only one of the 19 condos in The Vanderbilt with its own terrace and pool and that terrace spans 5,793 square feet and includes the large deck with its pool, spa, outdoor kitchen, fire pit, sitting and dining areas and garden. That is almost as much as the interior which is 6,141 square feet under air. The entire property is 12,640 square feet.

“It was lived in by the developer of this building, and we met them and became friends, and we told them if you are ever going to sell let us know and that was 2012 and we have been here ever since,” Wolfe explained. “It is just our unique place. Nobody knows it exists. We have spent many years here and have loved it here.”

Wolfe’s beloved husband, Jeff, recently passed away and Wolfe now wants a change and is selling her dream home for $13,995,000.

Read more about how Jeanna and her husband enjoyed living in this lovely home, on naplesnews.com.

Ready to explore the most exceptional properties of Southwest Florida? Contact me today to begin your journey. Contact David at David@DavidFlorida.com or 239-285-1086.