Collier rejects $23M price tag for 2,247 acres

Collier County commissioners unanimously rejected a $23 million price for a 2,247-acre Immokalee property for possible affordable workforce housing, fire house and other uses, opting to continue negotiating.   

During a roughly hourlong discussion May 14, Commissioner Bill McDaniel Jr. called rejecting the offer a motion for failure, but added, “I will support you if you want to go down that road.” 

The sellers’ purchase agreement was conditioned on their right to rescind it if the county’s offer for Williams Reserve at Lake Trafford was less than $23 million. Four out of five commissioners are required to approve a purchase price above $20.77 million, the average of two appraisals. 

Two independent appraisers hired by the county valued the property at $19.94 million and $21.6 million and it would be purchased using funds from taxpayer-funded Conservation Collier, the 1-cent infrastructure sales surtax, and Parks & Recreation and housing budgets. 

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