Q: There’s a 9-acre plot of land on Immokalee Road east of Logan Boulevard and west of Saturnia Lakes that was going to be either a multistory, 200-unit assisted-living building or 63 residential units, Logan Towns. Do you know what was finally decided on? Rumor is it will be residential but has this been confirmed? — Dave Marin, North Naples  

A: The development project planned on vacant land on the south side of Immokalee east of Logan Landings retail center will be a residential community but may not be exactly what you were expecting. The site development plan for The Karlyn proposes 158 units of senior group housing in a three-story building on a narrow 9-acre undeveloped property at 7576 Immokalee Road, adjacent to Saturnia Lakes gated residential community.  

PulteGroup initially submitted detailed plans to build 63 townhomes at this site in a gated community it had planned to name Logan Towns, but the Atlanta-based home developer abandoned those plans last year after having the project for 15 months, said Investment Properties Corp. of Naples Principal David Stevens, who quickly reached out to Minnesota-based Roers Cos., which has had its eye on Southwest Florida. In December, Roers plans to purchase the acreage, known as the Cleary property, to build the first of many multifamily developments it plans in the region, Stevens said.  

“[Stevens] brought this site to us after it fell out of contract with another developer, so he knew we were looking to execute. So, we decided to swoop in and take a run at it,” said Andy Bollig, a Roers development partner.  

The wooded property on Immokalee Road is under contract, but Roers hopes to close soon on the real estate transaction. “The contract, I believe, takes us through either January or the end of the year, but we’re targeting the end of the year,” Bollig said.  

An ordinance adopted in November 2017 after a super-majority vote by the Collier County Commission amended the acreage from rural agricultural to a residential planned unit development known as the Cleary RPUD to allow the construction of up to 63 residential units or 200 group housing units for seniors. Instead of building the authorized 200 units, Roers is building 158 because of the necessity for adequate parking and stormwater control on-site, Bollig said.  

“Since it’s rezoned, we’re just working through our site plan submission process and getting plans to the point that they are basically finalized,” Bollig said. “We’d love to start construction here at the end of the year, but for sure early next year.”  

A mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom units will be in a three-story building designed to wrap around three different outdoor amenity areas: a swimming pool and deck, a pickleball court and a brick courtyard. A first-floor amenity area will include a lounge, fitness area, yoga room, dining/club room, game room and mail room, plans filed with Collier County Growth Management show.  

The building’s architectural elements include white stucco with terra cotta barrel tile roofs, according to plans by Minneapolis-based ESG Architecture & Design. Carports are being provided on the western and southern sides of the building for many of the parking spaces. The development will have a small pond and a dry retention area on its northern end and a dry retention basin and a 1-acre preserve area along its southern end, site plans show.  

Another 9-acre parcel between the new development and Sprouts-anchored Logan Landings retail center is privately owned by Cullen Walker, founder and president of WLM Work-a-Holics Landscape Management Inc., a longtime local business based on Logan Boulevard.  

“They’ve been great neighbors so far but if they ever wanted to sell, we’d certainly be interested,” Bollig said. “We’d be more than happy to take a look at it.”  

Roers raises money from local and national friends and family investors.   

“We have a lot of investors based in Naples, and they wanted Naples deals,” Bollig said. “So, this is one of a few deals we’re pursuing down there. It’ll be the first one. We manage our properties long term, so we’re really excited to come to the area. I’ve traveled to Naples my whole life, and I just love it.”  

In fact, Bollig’s Naples connection is why Roers’ first local project is being named The Karlyn.  

“It’s actually my grandmother’s name,” Bollig said. “She first brought me down to Naples years ago.”  

Karlyn DeMars still has a place in North Naples, so it’s a special honor.  

 “We don’t do it often,” said Bollig. “We normally stay away from naming buildings after relatives, as you can imagine, because the requests would be endless.”  

Nevertheless, Bollig thinks his grandmother’s name fits the vibe of the future senior housing community. “It’s just a little more sophisticated and less abrasive than some of the modern trendy names,” he said.  

More Roers doors  

The Karlyn is its’ first investment in Collier or Lee counties, but Roers is just getting started.  

“I have two other deals that I’m working on in the Naples area, potentially a third,” Bollig said. “The growth is so astronomical down there.”  

Roers already has another North Naples development in the permitting pipeline.   

The Mattson at Vanderbilt residential planned unit development is proposed for a maximum of 150 multifamily rental units on 5.88 acres on Vanderbilt Beach Road east of Livingston Road. The apartment complex will be between the Bradford Square and Sandalwood Village senior housing communities on two adjoining properties that used to be home to Bobbin Hollow Equestrian Center and Naples Safari Animal Hospital & Pet Resort at 3375 and 3333 Vanderbilt Beach Road, respectively.  

The equestrian center relocated to Ocala years ago, and the veterinary business closed at the end of August. A July letter to clients from veterinarian Lesli Reiff announced that the pet care business would be permanently closing.    

“It has been a pleasure serving the Southwest Florida pet-owning community for the past 22 years at both Westcoast Veterinary Hospital and Naples Safari Animal Hospital & Pet Resort. The bonds that we have formed make it a bittersweet decision to take a step back and enter into semiretirement,” wrote Dr. Reiff, who said she plans to stay in the area and may return to do some relief work here after taking some time off.  

The master plan for the redevelopment of the two properties proposes an H-shaped building with a swimming pool and pickleball courts on one side of the middle bar of the H and a circular drive and porte cochere on the front side. Parking will surround the building on property that will include 30% open space, plans show.  

The project’s rezoning request from agricultural use to a planned unit development still must be approved by the county planning commission and county commissioners.   

Roers also has six other projects along Florida’s Gulf Coast. “Another partner in our firm has an office in Tampa, and he has quite a few deals in the Tampa-Sarasota area,” Bollig said.  

Founded by brothers Kent and Brian Roers in 2012, Roers is quickly growing its real estate development and property management portfolio. The company raises money from investors ranging from $100,000 to more than $1 million from investors, Bollig said.  

“We just love providing an opportunity for people to diversify their investment portfolio. That’s actually why we got started as a business about 11 years ago now,” he said. “So, we’re always looking for more investors who are interested in getting into real estate.”  

The “Tim Aten Knows” weekly column answers local questions from readers. Email Tim at tim.aten@naplespress.com.