Renderings re-imagine entrance to Naples along Davis Blvd.

Published: Updated:

NAPLES, Fla.- A new plan to change the entrance to the City of Naples at Davis Boulevard and U.S. 41 could revitalize the area and bring in more business.

The project boasts residences, retail shops, a boutique movie theater and a hotel. The developer, Real Estate Partners International, offered $6.4 million for the property, matching what the county paid for it in 2009.

“This is prime real estate and this is an area where people want to be,” said developer Jerry Starkey.

Nearby business owner Enka Shehaj opened Olympia Dining alongside her husband five years ago, and hopes the project will make the area more vibrant. Shehaj and her husband have watched as Davis Boulevard has slowly been transforming from an industrial area, with abandoned property, into a popular destination.

“I think it’s gonna be so good for the business, not just for us here, but for the whole Davis strip plaza,” said Shehaj.

Collier County commissioners voted to move forward with the project on Tuesday and to negotiate with the developer. A former deal with another developer, Fortino Construction and Development, fell through a couple of years ago but commissioners hope this time will be different.

“Taxpayers will be getting their money back dollar for dollar and hopefully
we’ll see an increase in property values and increase in quality of life,” said Commissioner Georgia Hiller.

Copyright ©2024 Fort Myers Broadcasting. All rights reserved.

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without prior written consent.