A three-story building featuring 30 townhomes and condos on First Avenue South in the Naples Design District can now move forward with construction.
It is the final parcel on the avenue’s south side, between 10th Street and Goodlette-Frank Road, to receive redevelopment approval. The property sits next to Wynn’s Downtown, which recently began construction. The “urban-infill project,” replacing four single-story metal storage buildings constructed between 1979 and 1982, will be built in the Design District, a walkable area known for its eclectic mix of art and design, local shops, boutiques, restaurants, emerging businesses and national brands.
Together with Wynn’s Downtown, the new Gulfshore Playhouse and the city’s recently completed parking garage, the project is expected to help transform the area.
Naples Design Review Board unanimously approved the final design review Nov. 21 for the 2.46-acre parcel owned by Texas-based GeoSouthern Intermediate Holdings LLC, managed by billionaire George H. Bishop and Margaret Molleston, who lead GeoSouthern Energy. GeoSouthern purchased the land in 2014 for $12 million.
A rendering shows the main entrance to the 1080 First Ave. S. development, which will offer resident access from both the sidewalk and the private garage.
Plans went through two preliminary design reviews, with significant changes requested by DRB members and city staff. Rezoning and City Council approval were not required; staff approved the site plans.
“This site’s a tough site,” DRB Chair Steve Hruby, an architect and urban planner, said before the vote, noting the parcel is sandwiched between the backs of buildings. “When you first came to me, I asked, ‘How are you going to really make something that’s attractive and marketable in this space?’ And you’ve done a great job doing it. That courtyard where the units face into the courtyard, it’s unique. I don’t think there’s any place else in the city that’s done that.”
The L-shaped parcel is bordered by The Collective — a three-story design hub featuring art and home furnishings — to the west; five-story Naples Square I and Naples Square III condos to the south; two vacant parcels to the north; and the city’s new 364-space parking garage and the Wynn parcel to the east.
The approval comes as the Wynn family begins construction on Wynn’s Downtown, which will feature retail shops, boutiques and a restaurant with outdoor seating, Gulfshore Playhouse’s administrative offices, office space and affordable apartments for actors and theater crew members.
Plans for 1080 First Ave. S. include a resort-style pool, dog park and fitness center, along with homes featuring private pools, terraces and balconies. The first floor will have six condos, a lobby and 30 private covered parking garages. The second floor will feature 10 condos, a large pool and pool deck, while the third floor will include 14 condos with balconies. Four two-story townhomes at the rear will each include a private pool on the south side.
“The building will have an entrance accessible to residents through the garage and on the ground level, and another accessible from the sidewalk on First [Avenue],” architect Mark McLean of MHK Architecture told the DRB, adding that a sidewalk will provide quick access to Wynn’s Downtown.
On the southeast quadrant, just south of the parking garage, a one-story amenity area will include a large social room, resident offices and a multiuse fitness center for yoga, as well as restrooms and locker rooms. McLean said security cameras will cover the building and the project will incorporate CPTED — Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design — features, including a lighted path allowing residents to walk along the west side.
The project’s amenity deck features a resort-style pool, cabanas and outdoor seating for residents. The second-floor pool area is a central element of the planned community.
The pool area will include a service bar, outdoor grill porches and private cabanas.
Architect Christian Andrea, of Architectural Land Design, said a 6-foot-wide pathway will run through the corridor, lined with 16-foot calophyllum trees aligned with The Collective’s lattice panels. Pools will feature floating step stones, patios, fire tables, stools and deck spaces with planters. Landscaping will include sugi Japanese cedar trees, dwarf scheffleras, clusia, green buttonwoods and royal palms.
Dense buffers between neighboring properties will include 25- to 40-foot-tall trees, such as traveler’s palms, cabbage palms and green buttonwoods. The project team has worked to address neighbors’ concerns and will continue working with a Naples Square III resident by adding a tall bamboo buffer to screen the amenity building — a condition of approval.
DRB member Sabrina McCabe, a landscape architect, commended the revisions, especially improvements to the pedestrian and vehicular entries, adding, “All the changes from the last time have made a huge difference.”
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