A luxury home on the corner of two iconic Naples streets isn’t the most expensive residential listing in Collier County. That would be a three-lot, Gulf-front property at 2200 Gordon Drive listed for $295 million.
However, the home at 111 Fifth Ave. S., at the northeast corner of Gulf Shore Boulevard, is listed for $20 million and might be the most unique.
“You’ve got a house that was developed by a famous architect from the Chicago area,” said Joe Belz, listing agent with Compass, referring to Gene Martin, who still designs luxury homes but outgrew this one after his children grew up and moved on. He sold it in July 2021 for $12 million. Martin, owner of Martin Design Group, once built a home for former Chicago Bears quarterback Jim McMahon, according to the Chicago Tribune.
“You’ve got one of the bigger lots in Old Naples,” Belz said. “You’re on the corner of the world-famous Fifth Avenue South and Gulf Shore Boulevard. You’re a couple of blocks from the beach. 
“You’ve got a French chateau-inspired design. It’s just so different from many of the homes we see in Naples. It’s definitely one of a kind.”
The home looks like it could have been built in the 1800s, as the facade is covered in imported marble from Italy. There are seven arched windows on the ground floor and seven windows on the second floor. But it was built in 2012, and the air conditioning units were replaced in July 2022.
“It’s funny, because a lot of people think the house has been there for a much longer period of time. I guess because of the style of architecture,” Belz said. “It’s got all of the things you’d want in a newer home from the building codes standpoint. It’s the complete opposite of a lot of the houses we’ve seen built in the last three to four years that all kind of look the same.” 
The home, which features 7,300 square feet of air-conditioned living space, has four bedrooms, six bathrooms and a study. The gourmet kitchen has three islands and there is a home gym and a seven-car garage.
Outside is a 70-foot-long swimming pool.
The home, which sold within hours of hitting the market in 2021, has been on the market for 42 days and counting this time, but Belz anticipates it to be under contract soon based on the volume of showings.
“There’s an amazing great room and a kitchen,” Belz said. “It’s just a really, neat house. And you can tell, if you walk in there and spend some time, you wouldn’t be surprised that an architect built it for himself. It’s iconic. I hate to use that term, because it’s overused, but it’s definitely an iconic property.”
