Q: What are they doing at Fifth Avenue South and 10th Street at the old St. George lot? – Janet B., Naples

A: An upscale mixed-use redevelopment project — The Avenue — will begin construction this quarter on a nearly two-block area of Fifth Avenue South from the former longtime property of St. George & the Dragon restaurant, just east of Four Corners at 936 Fifth Ave. S., to 11th Street South.

“It’s a legacy project,” said developer Andy Penev. “It’s something we want to be the center of downtown and we’re putting in the time and effort to make sure that that happens.”

The iconic local restaurant, which operated from 1969 to 2012, was razed years ago, but three other nearby buildings also will be demolished as part of The Avenue redevelopment project on 4.3 acres. As soon as permits are approved by the city, you’ll see the demolition of the three-story Florida Gulf Coast University Renaissance Academy and a single-story former bank/real estate office in the 1000 block of Fifth Avenue South, as well as MHK Architecture’s former three-story office building on the 900 block.

“We have the fencing up and contractors mobilized. Everybody’s ready to go,” said Penev, who hopes to start construction this quarter or the second quarter of this year. “It’s all dependent upon permits,” he said.

Expect 75,000 square feet of retail space on the ground floor of four new three-story buildings and 50 residential units total on the upper floors of The Avenue, which will have two buildings each in the 900 and 1000 blocks of Fifth Avenue South. Construction will begin on the 900 block, which has already been approved, followed as closely as possible by the 1000 block buildings. The Avenue is expected to be completed within two years in a location that is vitally important, Penev said.

“It’s the aorta of downtown,” he said, noting — as city officials have echoed — that the property serves as an entrance to downtown Naples.

“We took our time and I believe we’ve come up with something that is truly representative of what the entrance to Naples should be.”

The Avenue’s slogan is what the project is trying to epitomize: coastal living in the heart of downtown.

“We’re in Naples. We’re in this urban setting, but you are a walk to the beach,” Penev said. “You have boating accessible to you. You really are living a coastal lifestyle but you get all of the perks of this urban living that you can walk to a shop, you can walk to a restaurant, you can walk to the park. You don’t need a car if you live here, essentially. So that is the overarching theme of what this project is, and between the retail and the residences we are creating a very lively atmosphere.”

While commercial tenants will not include Whole Foods Market and Restoration Hardware. which previously were part of an earlier proposal for the site, Penev could not disclose specific retailers being considered yet. He said he is talking to businesses in an effort to curate an appropriate mix that is considerate of neighbors, residents and other retail tenants.

“The hope is to have high-end retailers — not big box, so we’re talking about high street boutiques, specialty, maybe some service, a couple of restaurants,” he said. “We’ve had almost equal interest from both national and local. We certainly want to have both. We’ll see where it shakes out.”

Using the old address of St. George, the L-shaped building planned for 936 Fifth Ave S. will include a 240-space parking garage concealed in the back that will service most of the retail in the entire development. There will be 15 condo units within the second and third floors of the building. A square building that the L-shaped building wraps around has another five residences with its own parking and ground-floor retail.

The larger 1000 block will have another two buildings with 30 residences split between them. Although different and separated by 10th Street, the parts will be harmonious, Penev said, pointing to arches, trellises and other architectural details and colors the buildings will share to organically tie them together. Pedestrian walkways will cut through the buildings, too.

A public highlight of the project will be Oak Row, the name of the city alley that will bisect The Avenue block between Fifth and Sixth Avenue South. The walkable Oak Row will allow light vehicular traffic and be activated by outdoor dining, coffee shops and boutique retailers.

“I want to create that feeling of an older downtown, if you will, through the paving, the hardscapes, through the surfaces,” Penev said. “That ground-floor experience is extremely important to us. So, you want the facades to be beautiful, stone, nice materials, good details. You want the hardscape to be pavers. You want to have trees that are mature. So, the goal here is to have Oak Row be a tunnel of trees, where you can sit down, you can get away in the shade. It’s pleasant. It’s quiet. And it’s a superb location.”

The first 20 homes in The Avenue’s 900 block were recently released for purchase to friends and family invited to private events for the project. Residences feature two to four bedrooms and are priced from about $3 million to nearly $8 million. The top tier includes three penthouses.

The Avenue’s 900 block residences feature introductory prices for early adopters. The project’s 1000 block will have larger homes at higher prices.

“We’ve been engaging with customers for the last 45 days,” said Christine Lutz, director of new development sales for the Dawn McKenna Group, which is spearheading sales for The Avenue. “We’re expecting to go to hard contract in the next 30 to 45 days. The response has been nothing less than outstanding.”

The Avenue’s recently launched sales center on the second floor of 375 Fifth Ave. S. features scale models of the project and downtown Naples, and provides a glimpse of some of the interior finishes for its residential units.

“It’s a showroom to show people not only some of the features that come standard but also the lifestyle that will be delivered here. We’re on Fifth just as we will be there,” Penev said. “The flooring, the kitchen, certain elements here and there will come standard in these units. It’s not a model unit, but it’s a sales gallery that’s meant to walk you through the entire vision — the process, the lifestyle, a little taste of everything.”

Prospective condo owners can visit the gallery to see The Avenue’s Italian kitchens, modern bathrooms, flooring and upscale finishes.

“Another very important kind of distinguishing feature for us on this project is that we are bringing in another level of elegance and sophistication of luxury that we believe that this market really does kind of demand, and our heart and soul is into this, so every detail matters,” Penev said. “Being at the center stage, being in the heart of downtown, we’re really focused on delivery of top-notch residences, retail, even sidewalks, even the landscaping.”

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