New Construction | David Critzer, REALTOR®

What’s the diff between SW Florida’s Rivergrass & the River of Grass?

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

Key Points

New housing communities are emerging across Southwest Florida, including in Naples, Estero, Cape Coral and Fort Myers.

Rivergrass development in Collier County has begun construction on more than 1,000 homes.

In Cape Coral, the $100 million Bimini Square project is debuting apartments, dining and healthcare services.

Estero’s Coconut Point is adding new businesses, including proposed apartments, restaurants and retail stores.

As Southwest Florida’s frosty February chill prevailed, new and proposed housing communities continued to emerge in Naples, Estero, Cape Coral and Fort Myers.

A landmark Collier County endeavor was among them.

Here’s what to know.

There’s Collier County’s Rivergrass, and then there’s River of Grass
Impact on the economy and perhaps traffic will come in the form of Rivergrass, different in shape but similar in name to the somewhat adjacent River of Grass, as author Marjory Stone Douglas dubbed the Everglades eight decades ago.

With Lennar leading the way, construction just kicked into high gear on more than 1,000 homes, where the address is 5063 Oil Well Road, Immokalee. The target is to have the first of the housing as early as autumn, according to Lennar.

What’s maximum number of homes allowed in Big Cypress area?
The path was paved by Collier Enterprises, which has been finalizing federal, state and local permits for three villages including Rivergrass and a town known as Big Cypress in eastern Collier that have been years in the making with opposition from environmentalists and other folks against urban sprawl.

The maximum number of homes permitted for all of it at this point is nearly 9,700. The combined commercial is slated to reach close to 1.6 million square feet.

Read the full article and get the scoop on Bimini Square in Cape Coral and Estero’s Coconut Point.

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

Collier commissioners unanimously approve new 3,200-home rural village

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

With a unanimous vote, Collier commissioners approved a new rural village.

At a meeting Dec. 9, the board greenlighted the new village, known as Horse Trials.

The development is planned on nearly 1,218 acres on the north side of Oil Well Road, west of State Road 29. It’s the eighth village or town the county has approved in the environmentally sensitive Rural Lands Stewardship Area (RLSA).

The stewardship area, adopted nearly 20 years ago, encompasses 185,000 acres around Immokalee, east of Golden Gate Estates, with the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge to the south and the Okaloacoochee Slough State Forest to the north.

The voluntary RLSA program allows developers to build higher-density towns and villages on property with lower conservation value in exchange for preserving the most environmentally sensitive land through a credit system.

Read the full article about Horse Trials Village, and learn more about the RLSA program on naplesnews.com.

Tower 500 Is Selling Fast — The Finale Is in High Demand

When You Want It All — You’ll Find It at Kalea Bay

Momentum continues at Kalea Bay’s final tower, with 5 new sales in just the past few weeks. Now almost 60% of residences are sold, as discerning buyers recognize the unmatched lifestyle that Tower 500 offers.

Everything you love about Naples — all in one place.
From rooftop pools and open-air fitness to three club pools, tennis, pickleball, two restaurants, and lively pool bars— including an adult-only pool — Kalea Bay IS A resort.

Add in guest suites for friends and family and an world class wellness center, and it’s easy to see why living here feels like your favorite vacation, every day.

Ready to explore the homes at Kalea Bay Tower 500? Contact me today to begin your journey. Contact David at David@DavidFlorida.com or 239-285-1086.

Kalea Bay Tower 500 Hits $330M in Sales as Luxury Market Holds Strong

Million-Dollar Momentum
Kalea Bay’s Tower 500—a 22‑story luxury residential tower in North Naples—just crossed a major sales milestone. As of mid-July 2025, the development topped $330 million in total sales, with 66 of the 120 units already sold, putting it on pace to sell out before construction wraps in September 2025.

Specs & Specs to Know
The final building in the Kalea Bay complex, Tower 500 offers Gulf views, floor-to-ceiling windows, lanais, and ultra‑lux finishes. Prices start around $3.5 million per unit, reflecting high demand among buyers seeking premium SWFL coastal residences.

A Reflection of Market Strength
Even as broader housing markets show signs of cooling, Naples’ ultra-luxury real estate is bucking the trend. Kalea Bay’s sales success follows record-breaking momentum at other high-end projects in the region:

Ritz‑Carlton Residences Estero Bay recently surpassed $700 million in sales.

Trio of Port Royal waterfront homes brought in $225 million in April.

Read more on naplesnewsnow.com.

Are you seeking a luxury home in the Naples – Bonita Springs, Florida area? Contact David at David@DavidFlorida.com or 239-285-1086.

Thousands of new homes being built in SW Florida. What’s happening in Naples, Collier?

J. Kyle Foster | Naples Daily News

New home construction continues across Southwest Florida, and in Collier County coincides with two major I-75 interchange updates: at U.S./SR 951 (Exit 101) and the county’s first diverging diamond under construction at Pine Ridge Road (exit 107).

Thousands of homes, single-family and multi-family, have been approved, are in the planning stages or are under construction in the largest county in the state of Florida with 1,997 square miles of land. Most available land is in the north and east, and growth is pushing that way.

What are some of the communities being built or planned in Collier County?
Golden Gate Estates, a vast residential area in eastern Collier County, is still under construction, offering large acreage lots ranging from 1 to over 10 acres. The Golden Gate community is estimated to have a population of about 30,000, according to World Population Review. It has an expected build out of more than 54,000 residents, with a density of about 1 person per acre.

A community called Bellmar made up of three villages, including a whole new town, is proposed and has been approved at the county level for as many as 8,350 homes in east Collier County near Golden Gate Estates. Collier Enterprises has obtained some of the required local and state permits for the rural village east of Golden Gate Estates, the developer still needs what’s known as a Section 404, or wetlands permit, under the Clean Water Act to begin construction.

As many as 2,111 luxury single-family homes and villas may be built along the 951/Collier Boulevard corridor in the communities of Caymas, Seven Shores, Tamarindo and Summerlit – all on the northbound side of Collier Boulevard.

Fiori, Sparrow’s Amberlin South, Savoy, Allegro and Cadenza, Hammock Park, Azalea Park and Ekos will add 2,228 apartments and townhomes to Collier Boulevard.

The list goes on! Read the full article on naplesnews.com.