Lead Photo: Dohoney home design in Silverwood at Maple Ridge. New home sales in Ave Maria have reached a record-breaking high. Details below.
COLLIER CARES MONEY AVAILABLE FOR CHILD CARE PROVIDERS AND PARK PROGRAMS
Starting today, licensed child care providers and county park programs can apply for $5 million in relief through Collier Cares. The money available is on a first-come, first-qualified basis. The application deadline is Aug. 24. For information on how to apply visit the Collier Cares website here.
EXPANDED GOODWILL STORE AND DONATION CENTER REOPENS IN NORTH NAPLES
The newly expanded Goodwill retail store and donation center reopened Thursday at 1687 Pine Ridge Road in North Naples. The longtime 8,772-square-foot Goodwill store became a warehouse and receiving space for the nonprofit organization while a 10,327-square-foot addition is the new retail sales area. An adjacent former bank branch on the corner of Pine Ridge and Taylor Road was razed in November to make way for the expansion project. Meanwhile, Goodwill also recently opened a new donation center in a 1,624-square-foot unit next to Dollar Tree in Price Street Plaza off U.S. 41 East in East Naples. During National Thrift Shop Day on Aug. 17, shoppers at any Goodwill retail and donation center in Southwest Florida can enter to win a $50 Goodwill gift card.
LUXURY CONDO REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT BEGINS CONSTRUCTION NEXT MONTH IN NAPLES
Parkview at Cambier, a new development of four luxury condominium residences in downtown Naples, is planned across from Cambier Park at the old Chapel Grill restaurant property, which also notably was the site of the city’s original First Baptist Church on the corner of Eighth Street South and Seventh Avenue South. With about 6,700 square feet of total living space per unit, each ultra-exclusive residence will feature more than 3,900 square feet under air, outdoor living space, a three-car garage, a personal elevator and a private rooftop area with full kitchens, bars, spas and firepits. A common area will include a heated pool, tiki bar, putting green and ping pong and pool tables. The state-of-the-art smart homes
BONITA BREEZE AUTO CONDOS UNDER CONSTRUCTION IN BONITA SPRINGS
New man-cave garages are under construction about a mile from the beach in Bonita Springs. Bonita Breeze Auto Condos, 4276 Bonita Beach Road SW, will feature state-of-the-art, climate-controlled luxury units for cars, boats, recreational vehicles or any other personal storage items. Each of the 25 condo units will include internet access and cable TV capabilities, along with options for lofts and bathrooms. The auto condos are being built in four buildings by Waltbillig & Hood general contractors on the north side of Bonita Beach Road next to Taco Mix and across from A Table Apart restaurant. “Delivery is going to be sometime in November or December this year,” says Bill Young of Lee & Associates commercial real estate services. The pre-construction asking price is $289,000 per unit, Young said. For more information or to lease a unit, call Young at 239-230-2187 or go to BonitaBreeze.com.
Pompeii home design in Avalon Park by Pulte Homes
RECORD-BREAKING STREAK CONTINUES FOR AVE MARIA NEW HOME SALES
New home sales in the master-planned community of Ave Maria have reached a record-breaking high. Ave Maria Development reports 52 new homes sales during the month of July, the third straight month of unmatched sales for the hometown in Southwest Florida. Year-to-date the community reports over 225 new home sales. Home sales were reported from the four residential builders in Ave Maria— CC Homes, Del Webb Naples, Lennar and Pulte Homes. Ave Maria now includes more than 2,500 new homes, with a current estimated population of 10,000 people including university students. For more information, visit avemaria.com.
CHILDREN’S ADVOCACY CENTER NAMES NEW SLATE OF BOARD OFFICERS
The Children’s Advocacy Center of SWFL (CAC) has announced its new slate of officers for 2020-2021: Cole Peacock, RC Peacock Consulting, president; Jake Spanberger, Entech IT Consulting, vice president; John Pearson, Fiddlesticks C.C., treasurer; and John Clinger, Clinger, Sizemore & Associates, Merrill Lynch. The board directors are Noelle Branning, Kellie Burns, David Fry, Larry Hart, Candis Loving, Brad Shipley, and Jessica Walker. CAC provides abuse determination services as well as therapeutic counseling, parenting education and prevention programs in Lee, Hendry, Glades and Charlotte Counties. All services are provided free of charge. For more information, visit cac-swfl.org.
DIRECTOR OF CLUB MEMBERSHIP APPOINTED TO TALIS PARK
Kitson & Partners has named Meaghan Baker director of club membership at Talis Park, a luxury master-planned community in Naples. A Miami native, Baker brings 17 years of Southwest Florida hospitality, sales, and marketing experience to Talis Park. The community offers move-in ready and to-be-built opportunities. Homes start from the high $600,000s to $10 million. For more information, visit talispark.com.
STARABILITY FOUNDATION RECOGNIZES PUBLIX WITH STAR AWARD
STARability Foundation presented a STAR Award to Publix Store Manager Hugh Hackett on July 17 at Publix Super Market at Marketplace at Pelican Bay. The STAR award recognizes exemplary community partnership and commitment to inclusive employment demonstrated by local businesses and organizations. This past November, the store joined a growing list of inclusive employers helping shine light on ability. Publix hired STARability program participant Hannah Kandel to work two afternoons each week as a part-time grocery clerk. The STAR award presentation coincided with a celebration of Kandel’s six months of service with Publix. Due to social distancing, the celebration was kept to a small gathering of STARability and Publix staff members. Kandel presented the award to her store manager and cut a cake prepared by the Publix bakery in her honor. To learn more about employing a STARability participant or becoming a vocational partner of the Trailblazer Academy, contact Halley at halley@STARability.org.
CHARITABLE NOTES
WGCU receives grant for education programming
WGCU Public Media has received a $5,000 grant from the Community Foundation of Collier County. These funds will support the public media nonprofit’s At-Home Learning and PBS LearningMedia programs. Last spring, WGCU joined with other Florida public television stations to air educational programming in the daytime for kindergarten through 12th-grade students and to provide supplemental teaching materials for the programs. To keep its youngest viewers engaged, WGCU continued to provide curriculum-based programs on its 24/7 PBS Kids channel. This coming school year, educational programs will continue on the WGCU WORLD channel as well as the PBS Kids 24/7 Kids channel. In addition, the grant supports PBS’ ongoing LearningMedia program, a multifaceted educational platform used by teachers, students and parents at no charge.
Alliance for the Arts announces recipients of The Arts are Vital Grant
The Alliance for the Arts has announced the recipients of The Arts are Vital Grant. The Arts are Vital Grant is an emergency relief program for Lee County’s arts organizations and individual artists formed in partnership with the Meisenberg Family Trust to ensure the sustained impact of the arts. The program provides one-time grant awards of $5,000 to arts organizations and $500 to professional artists located in Lee County with urgent financial need due to COVID-19. Individual artist grantees include Kara Ackley, Cesar Aguilera, Jan Atkielski, Marliss Brockington, Renee Rey, EllaEllis, Lily Hatchett, Monique Olsen, Brendan Powers, Rachel Powers, David Rode, Caitlin Rosolen, Terry Lynn Spry, Timothy Torres, Gregory Van Kirk, Warren Van Kirk and Jeffery Whidby. Arts organization grantees include ArtFest Fort Myers, BIG ARTS, Cultural Park Theatre Company, Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center, Florida Repertory Theatre, Fort Myers Symphonic Mastersingers, Gulfcoast Symphony Orchestra, Gulfshore Ballet, Laboratory Theatre of Florida, Lee County Black History Society, Players Circle Theatre and Southwest Florida Symphony. For more information, visit ArtInLee.org/Grant.
